3 Israelis killed at Jordan-West Bank crossing

Three Israeli civilians were shot and killed in an attack at the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan on Sunday.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the attack took place in the area of the Allenby Bridge crossing, which spans the Jordan River and connects the Palestinian territory to the neighboring state.

According to the IDF’s statement on X, the attacker was entering the West Bank from Jordan, when he “exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge.” The assailant was killed in the shootout that followed, and three civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack.

“IDF soldiers were dispatched to the scene and are currently operating to rule out the suspicion of the truck being rigged with explosives,” the IDF said on X.

All three of the Israeli men were in their 50s and succumbed to gunshot wounds, said Israeli emergency services organization Magen David Adom on Telegram. CNN reported that the victims were border guards.

The Israeli Airport Authority, which operates land-to-land borders between Israel and its neighbors, said it is closing crossings into Jordan.

The attack comes amid a tense military and political situation for Israel, with many people taking to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas and retrieve Israeli hostages.

Israeli forces on Friday shot and killed a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was taking part in a protest against settlement expansion.