Three Israelis have been shot dead at a border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, according to Israeli officials.
The gunman is said to have approached the Allenby Bridge crossing in a truck from the Jordanian side before opening fire.
He was killed in a shootout with Israeli security forces. Family members identified him as a 39-year-old from the Huwaitat tribe in southern Jordan
The three Israelis – all in their 50s – were shot at close range, according to the manager of the crossing.
Officials said it happened in an Israeli-controlled cargo area where Jordanian trucks offload goods entering the West Bank.
“A terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge,” the Israeli military said.
“The terrorist was eliminated by the security forces, three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack.”
Jordan and Israeli officials said the crossing had been closed until further notice, while crossings near Beit Shean in the north and Eilat in the south have also been shut.
Image: Israeli soldiers pictured at the crossing after the three men were killed. Pic: Reuters
Dozens of trucks use Allenby Bridge, known in Jordan as the King Hussein Bridge, each day to transport goods from Jordan and the Gulf to the West Bank and Israel.
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Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994, but has been deeply critical of its treatment of Palestinians, while the country, which has a large Palestinian population, has seen large-scale protests against Israel over the war in Gaza.
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There’s been an increase in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since Hamas militants from Gaza murdered around 1,200 people in the 7 October attack on Israel.
Israel has launched regular raids in Palestinian areas in the West Bank – which it has described as operations to target militants who threaten the country.
Most recently, an operation involving hundreds of troops in the Jenin refugee camp left dozens dead, according to Palestinian officials, and destroyed many buildings.
Image: Palestinians remove rubble after Israel’s recent military operation in Jenin. Pic: Reuters
Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian areas in the West Bank have also continued.
In one attack last month, homes and cars were set alight by attackers throwing petrol bombs and rocks.
US-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi also died this week after being shot in the head – reportedly by Israeli troops – following a protest in the West Bank village of Beita.
Image: American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed this week. Pic: ISM via family
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Israel and the US are investigating – while the White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by the incident. Israel’s military said in an initial statement that troops had responded after rocks were thrown at soldiers.
The UN and Turkey condemned the attack, with the Turkish foreign ministry calling it “murder”.
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Why corridor is key obstacle to ceasefire deal
Meanwhile, a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is still proving elusive despite huge pressure for a deal, both from Western allies and increasingly from inside Israel.
Palestinian health officials say more than 40,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced.
Israel insists it does all it can to avoid civilian casualties, but that Hamas fighters deliberately embed themselves among the population.
On Sunday, an airstrike in the Jabaliya refugee camp killed five people, including two women and two children, according to officials.
The Palestinian Civil Defence, which runs emergency services and rescue operations in Gaza, said the strike targeted the home of deputy director Mohammed Morsi.
Source : Sky News
