Three Israeli civilians were shot and killed on Sunday at the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, according to Israeli officials. The attacker, identified as Maher Diab Hussein Al-Jazi, a 39-year-old Jordanian citizen from the Huwaitat tribe in southern Jordan, drove a truck from the Jordanian side of the border before exiting and opening fire at close range. Israeli security forces at the scene responded by killing the gunman in a shootout.
A gunman crossing from Jordan killed three Israelis at the Allenby Bridge border in the occupied West Bank.
— The attacker approached the area in a truck from Jordan. He exited the vehicle and opened fire at Israeli security forces.
— This was the first attack of its kind along… pic.twitter.com/g3Ix5c9wDs
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 8, 2024
The victims, identified as Yohanan Shchori, 61, Yuri Birnbaum, 65, and Adrian Marcelo Podzamczer, were employees at the Allenby terminal. The Israel Airports Authority, which oversees the crossing, reported that all three men were shot at close range during the attack. Following the incident, all land crossings between Israel and Jordan were temporarily closed by Israeli authorities, including the Allenby, Rabin, and Jordan River crossings.
The Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is a critical transit point for goods between Jordan and the West Bank. The area where the attack occurred is an Israeli-controlled zone where Jordanian trucks routinely offload goods. The crossing is mostly used by Palestinians and foreigners, with Israelis generally prohibited from using it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, calling it a “despicable terrorist act,” while Jordanian authorities confirmed that the attacker had acted alone.
Jordan, while maintaining peace agreements with Israel, has been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, and large-scale protests against Israel have erupted within the country.
Jordanians are in celebration mode after one of their own carried out an attack on Israel… pic.twitter.com/VbD0fABJ7h
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 8, 2024
Jordanian officials have launched an investigation into the incident, coordinating with Israeli authorities. Israeli media reported that over 100 Jordanian truck drivers present at the crossing were questioned by Israeli forces and later released.
Immediately after the Shooting Attack on the Allenby Bridge Crossing between Jordan and the West Bank, by a Truck Driver who had arrived from Jordan; all other Truck Drivers at the Crossing were Detained, with them seen being Escorted with their Hands above the Heads, to where… pic.twitter.com/lFsWnHykIP
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 8, 2024
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