Three Israelis were killed in an attack at the West Bank-Jordan border crossing

On September 8, 2024, three Israeli security guards were killed in an attack at the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. 

This incident, which marks the first of its kind since October 7, involved a Jordanian national named Maher Al-Jazi. After passing through Jordanian controls and arriving in a truck, Al-Jazi opened fire with a handgun after exiting his vehicle while waiting in line for Israeli checks.

 The shooting seriously injured three guards, including a 65-year-old, all of whom later succumbed to their injuries. Al-Jazi was also killed in the attack. The Allenby crossing, a critical link for Palestinians in the West Bank to Jordan and beyond, was immediately closed following the incident. According to the Jordanian news agency Petra, Al-Jazi was a driver tasked with delivering goods to the West Bank.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad have both issued statements supporting the attack but have not claimed responsibility. Hamas characterized the assault as a "natural response" to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, praising the attacker as a "heroic" individual who acted out of defiance against Israeli actions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hamas's statement references the ongoing Jewish prayers at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is considered Islam's third holiest site. Although the status quo established after Israel's capture of the Old City in 1967 prohibits such activities, these prayers continue to take place, fueling tensions.