At least three Israeli civilians were shot dead during a shooting incident at the Allenby Crossing on the border between the occupied West Bank and Jordan, Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday.
The Israel Airports Authority, which runs the border terminal at the Allenby Crossing with Jordan, told CNN that the three men who died worked at the crossing.
Giving details about the attack, IDF posted on X: “Earlier today, 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 IDF claimed the attacker was ‘eliminated’ by security forces.
“IDF soldiers were dispatched to the scene and are currently operating to rule out the suspicion of the truck being rigged with explosives, further details to follow,” the security force said.
The identity of the attacker is still not known.
The manager of the crossing, Alex Chen, told CNN the shooter was a Jordanian driver, adding that the crossing has been closed until further notice.
Quoting the Israel Airports Authority, media reports claimed all Israel’s crossings with Jordan have been shut down following the incident.
The Allenby Bridge crossing is considered to be crucial since it lies halfway between Amman and Jerusalem.
It is the only official crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the attack.
In remarks at the beginning of the weekly government meeting, Netanyahu was quoted as saying by CNN that Israel was “surrounded by a murderous ideology led by Iran’s axis of evil.”
According to reports, the Jordanian interior ministry has said its authority has begun probing the incident.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have reportedly welcomed the attack.
In a statement, Hamas was quoted as saying by The Times of Israel that the attack was a “natural response to the holocaust carried out by the Nazi Zionist enemy against our people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and its plans for the Judaization of the Al Aqsa mosque.”
