A shooter from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians today at the border crossing of the “Allenby“ in the West Bank, before the security forces liquidated him, the Israeli authorities reported, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
This is the first attack of this type along the border with Jordan since October 7 last year, when the Palestinian Islamist group “Hamas“ carried out an attack in southern Israel that led to the war in the Gaza Strip, which escalated throughout the region.
The attack took place at an Israeli-controlled unloading zone where trucks from Jordan stop at the entrance to the West Bank. The border crossing, also known as the “King Hussein” are located midway between Amman and Jerusalem north of the Dead Sea.
The attacker was a 39-year-old truck driver from the influential Huwaytat tribe in southern Jordan, his family said. Jordan's interior ministry has identified him as Maher Ziab Hussein al-Jazi from the southern province of Maan.
„The terrorist approached the “Allenby” from Jordan, exited the vehicle and opened fire on security forces working on the bridge, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. They added that the man was “eliminated by security forces, but three Israeli civilians died as a result of the attack”.
Jordanian authorities are investigating the shooting. The Allenby Bridge, an important border point for trade between Jordan and Israel and one of the five land border crossings between the two countries, has been closed, the Jordanian Ministry of Interior announced. The outlet is used regularly by more than three million Palestinians living in the West Bank.
The Israeli manager of the border crossing reported that the three killed were workers at the checkpoint and were shot at close range by the driver.
Anti-Israel sentiment is high in Jordan and hundreds of locals took to the streets of the capital Amman to mark the attack, saying the gunman was acting in revenge for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and have close security ties. Dozens of trucks cross the border crossing daily, with goods from Jordan and other countries in the region reaching markets in Israel and the West Bank as well.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, called on the countries to investigate the incident to prevent further attacks.
At least four people were killed in several Israeli strikes last night in the western Syrian province of Hama, Reuters and the Associated Press reported, citing BTA, citing state media from the Arab republic.
After the attack by the Palestinian group “Hamas“ on October 7 last year against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Israel stepped up its strikes against targets of Iran-backed groups in Syria, as well as targets of Syrian air defenses and parts of its armed forces.
A local health official, quoted by the Syrian state news agency SANA, said 13 people were injured, several of them seriously, after the strikes on the outskirts of the town of Maysaf. They were taken to hospital, and it is not clear whether they are civilians or military.
Syrian state media reported that the strikes caused two fires. A highway in Hama province was also damaged. Strikes were also reported around the coastal city of Tartus.
There is no comment yet from Israel, but usually its military does not comment on individual strikes on Syria.
The London-based non-governmental organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoted by the AP, said one of the strikes targeted a scientific center in Maysaf, where "Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapon in Syria“.
In the most high-profile attack on Syria since the Gaza war began in April, suspected Israeli fighter jets bombed the Iranian embassy in Damascus. After the strike, Iran said seven military advisers were killed, including three high-ranking commanders.