Israel shuts down border with Jordan after West Bank shooting
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Israel shut down its border with Jordan, after at least three Israelis were killed in a shooting at a crossing point in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the gunman approached the Allenby Bridge Crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck and opened fire; he was subsequently shot and killed by Israeli border security personnel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, linking it to Israel’s broader conflict with Iranian-backed militant groups, and particularly the war in Gaza.
The shooting is the latest violent incident in the West Bank in recent weeks: More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the territory by Israeli settlers and the IDF since the Oct. 7 attack, The New York Times reported, while the killing of a 26-year-old Turkish-American woman who was taking part in protests against Israeli settlers has sparked international condemnation.
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The bridge, which is a popular crossing for Jordanians and Palestinians, has been the site of other security incidents over the years, including in 2014 when the Israeli military shot and killed a Jordanian judge whom the IDF said had attacked them.
Israel and Jordan established diplomatic relationships in 1994, but the kingdom has criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Jordan has a large Palestinian population, and has seen mass protests against the war in Gaza.
