Israel suspends Gaza aid from Jordan following attack

TEL AVIV: Israel has shut down the Allenby Bridge border crossing with Jordan on Thursday night until further notice following a deadly attack that killed two Israeli soldiers.

The terrorist, a Jordanian national, had been driving a humanitarian aid truck en route from Jordan to the Gaza Strip. He carried out a shooting and stabbing assault at the crossing, killing Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, of Jerusalem, and Sgt. Oran Hershko, 20, of Tel Mond.

Harosh was serving in the Civil Administration, while Hershko was a liaison officer in the IDF’s international cooperation unit.

In addition to the Allenby Bridge, Israel also closed the southern Jordan River crossing. The Israel-Jordan Rabin Crossing near Eilat is open only to workers, while the Taba terminal with Egypt continues normal operations, the Israel Airports Authority —which runs the border crossings— said.

Military officials said humanitarian shipments from Jordan had not been subject to systematic inspections under a bilateral arrangement. Raising concerns about potential security gaps, Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) recommended halting aid deliveries from Jordan until an investigation concludes and new screening procedures are implemented.

The suspension affects around 150 Jordanian trucks a week, part of the 1,800 shipments normally reaching Gaza. Officials emphasised that humanitarian supplies would still flow through Egypt and other crossings.

The Allenby crossing, near Jericho, is primarily used by Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to travel to Jordan. Israeli travellers use border crossings in Eilat and the northern Jordan Valley.

In September 2024, a Jordanian truck driver opened fire at the same crossing, killing three Israeli workers. (ANI/TPS)