Shooting at West Bank-Jordan border crossing leaves 3 Israelis dead

On Sunday, a tragic shooting incident at the border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan resulted in the deaths of three Israeli civilians. According to military officials, the gunman arrived at the Allenby Bridge Crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck and opened fire on Israeli security forces, who quickly returned fire, fatally wounding the assailant.

The victims, identified as men in their 50s, were confirmed dead by Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, calling it cold-blooded murder. “It’s a difficult day,” he expressed, highlighting the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iranian-backed militant groups.

In the aftermath of the attack, Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, praised the shooting as a retaliatory act linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, stating, “We expect many more similar actions.” This sentiment underscores the rising tensions in the region amid the ongoing conflict.

Following the shooting, Jordanian officials announced an investigation into the incident, as reported by the state-funded Petra News Agency. Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, maintains a critical stance towards Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian population.

The Allenby Bridge Crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, primarily serves Israelis, Palestinians, and international visitors. In response to the shooting, both Israeli and Jordanian authorities have closed the crossing indefinitely, with Israel additionally closing its other land crossings with Jordan, situated in Beit Shean to the north and Eilat to the south.

The shooting comes amid escalating violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has surged since Hamas’s attack from Gaza on October 7. Israel has conducted near-daily military raids in densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods, leading to increased violence involving settlers and Palestinian resistance. The intensifying conflict raises fears of a broader cycle of violence erupting.

Just days before the border incident, a U.S.-Turkish national, Aysenur Eygi, was shot and killed by Israeli forces while attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the West Bank, specifically in the Nablus area. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded to the protest, stating that troops took action against individuals they deemed instigators of violence who posed a threat.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast War. While it withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, it continues to control Gaza’s airspace and borders. Following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade, which remains in effect today.

In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes continue to claim lives. An airstrike early Sunday killed five individuals, including two women and two children, as well as a senior Civil Defense official. The attack targeted the home of the deputy director for north Gaza in the Jabaliya refugee camp, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on this latest strike, which the army claims is aimed at minimizing civilian casualties by targeting militants. However, the ongoing conflict has had devastating effects, with the Hamas-led Health Ministry in Gaza reporting that over 40,000 Palestinians have died since the outbreak of the war. This figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and reflects the vast destruction and displacement affecting around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

The war began when Hamas-led militants carried out a brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. Following this attack, they abducted around 250 individuals, and many have since been released during a cease-fire facilitated by negotiations. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.

Efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a ceasefire and facilitate the return of the hostages have been ongoing, but discussions have frequently stalled, with barriers remaining for all parties involved.

Source: CBS News