Three killed in attack at West Bank-Jordan border, Israel says

Three Israeli men have been shot dead at a border point between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials say.

A gunman approached the Allenby Bridge crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck then got out and opened fire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Security personnel “eliminated” the gunman and the IDF checked the truck over for signs of explosives, a statement said.

Jordan says it is investigating the incident, which happened in an Israeli-controlled area where Jordanian vehicles offload goods entering the West Bank. The border point has now been closed from both sides.

An Israeli official told the AFP news agency that those killed had been security guards who were not a part of the army or police.

Video footage showed the attacker walking to the terminal and firing his weapon three times before he was shot dead.

A Jordanian border official told Reuters that at least two dozen Jordanian truck drivers in the offloading area had been detained by Israel’s military for interrogation.

All of Israel’s land crossings with Jordan have been closed after the incident, the Israel Airports Authority said.

The Allenby Bridge crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, lies about halfway between Amman and Jerusalem and is the only official crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan. It is also the only entry point to the West Bank that does not go through Israel.

Jordan and Israel maintain security, trade and diplomatic ties – though Jordan is critical of Israel’s actions towards Palestinians.

Dozens of trucks cross from Jordan daily to supply goods for markets in both the West Bank and Israel.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “hard day” and sent his condolences to the victims’ families at the start of a cabinet meeting.

He added: “A loathsome terrorist murdered three of our citizens in cold blood at the Allenby Bridge.”

Hamas officials did not claim responsibility for the attack, but described it as a “natural response” to the war in Gaza.

The Palestinian health ministry says more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank violence since Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

During the same period, at least 18 Israelis were killed in West Bank violence, according to United Nations (UN) figures, which do not include deaths since 11 August.

Last week, Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin city and its refugee camp – an area in the West Bank – after a major nine-day operation there. The area is a stronghold of militants and has a civilian population of about 60,000.

Israel says it is trying to stem deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, and acting against terrorism.