The Allenby Bridge - King Hussein border crossing between Israel and Jordan was closed on Sunday after a deadly terrorist shooting attack. Three Israelis were murdered when a terrorist driving a truck crossed the border from Jordan and opened fire on them at close range.
Other than goods transport, the crossing also serves as the main exit point for Palestinians from the West Bank to the outside world, with an average of 14,000 Palestinians crossing into Jordan every day.
According to Nazmi Mhanna, General Director of the Palestinian Authority’s General Administration for Borders and Crossings, around 250,000 workers rely on the crossing daily to transfer goods and import raw materials for industry.
Jordan sealed their side of the border after the attack and launched an investigation while Israel closed all land border crossings between the two countries, after the Airport Authority, in charge of all points of entry to Israel, was instructed to do so by security officials.
Officials from Israel and Jordan were in conversation in their investigations. A Jordanian official told Reuters that authorities in Amman have launched a probe into what he described as a "shooting incident" on the Israeli side of the border crossing.
Despite contact by the two sides, tensions remain high: former Jordanian Information Minister Samih Al-Maaytah told Al-Arabiya, "The attack at the Allenby Bridge crossing was expected due to the ongoing Israeli escalation against the Palestinians."
Meanwhile, in Jordan, sweets were handed out on the streets in celebration of the killing of Israelis. similar celebrations were seen in the West Bank city of Hebron.
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Sweets handed out in Jordan, in celebration of a terror attack at the Israel-Jordan border crossing that killed 3 Israelis
Jordan and Israel have maintained continuous coordination on matters of counterterrorism and security, despite tensions.
Israel's long border with Jordan to the east, has been an increasing concern for the IDF and Shin after efforts by Iran and Hamas to smuggle weapons and explosives into the West Bank. Jordan is also working to combat the rise of terrorism within its territory linked to Theran’s activities.
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IDF troops search Jordanians, Palestinians at the Allenby-King Hussein border crossing with Jordan after a deadly terror attack
The Allenby Bridge crossing mainly serves the transportation of goods, with trucks passing from Jordan to the West Bank and into Israel.
The crossing is located near villages in the Jordan Valley and the city of Jericho, which was placed under lockdown for a few hours, after the attack, while troops conducted searches for possible accomplices of the terrorists who carried out the deadly attack. The crossing was also used to transport Jordanian humanitarian aid for Gaza during the war.