Ankara: Two Israelis were killed in a shooting attack near a border crossing with Jordan, medics reported. The incident occurred near the Allenby (King Hussein) Crossing, which connects the occupied West Bank and Jordan.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israel's national ambulance service MDA confirmed that two men, aged 20 and 60, were killed in the attack. Israel's Army Radio reported that the attacker was neutralized at the scene, but no further details were provided. Public broadcaster KAN identified the attacker as a Jordanian citizen who was allegedly transporting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing security sources, claimed that the attacker was the driver of an aid truck. The attacker reportedly stabbed the two Israelis after opening fire. The Israeli army stated that the gunman arrived in a truck carrying humanitarian aid from Jordan and was neutralized by army forces. Troops have been conducting searches in the area and have encircled the city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Israeli Channel 14 that the two deceased Israelis were soldiers. Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani stated that Amman is monitoring reports on the security incident. Jordan's Public Security Directorate announced the suspension of passenger movement across the crossing due to its closure by Israeli authorities and advised travelers to stay updated through media channels.
In response to the incident, Jordan's Foreign Ministry launched an investigation and reaffirmed its stance against violence, condemning actions that harm Jordan's interests and humanitarian efforts. The ministry highlighted that 22 Jordanian aid trucks crossed the King Hussein Bridge toward Gaza on the day of the attack, in line with agreed procedures with Israel. To date, 8,664 aid trucks have passed in 201 convoys since the start of the Israeli conflict with Gaza in October 2023.
Following the attack, Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid from Jordan to Gaza, even in limited quantities, as reported by KAN. The ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip has resulted in over 65,100 Palestinian casualties since October 2023 and has severely impacted the region.
A similar incident occurred in September 2024, when three Israelis were killed by gunfire from a Jordanian truck driver at the same crossing. Jordan shares three border crossings with Israel: Sheikh Hussein (Jordan River) Bridge, King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge, and Wadi Araba (Yitzhak Rabin) Crossing.