On the morning of September 8, 2024, a Jordanian truck driver carried out a shooting attack at the Allenby Bridge, a border terminal between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, killing three Israeli security guards.[3]
| 2024 Allenby Bridge shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Allenby Bridge |
| Coordinates | 31°52′27″N 35°32′27″E / 31.87417°N 35.54083°E |
| Date | 8 September 2024 |
| Target | Israeli security guards |
Attack type | Shooting attack |
| Weapon | Pistol |
| Deaths | 4 (including the perpetrator)[1] |
| Perpetrator | Maher Al-Jazi[2] |
No. of participants | 1 |
The truck driver approached Israeli staff at the terminal and then opened fire, resulting in the killing of three victims.[4][1][5] The perpetrator was shot and incapacitated by a security guard, and only after his incapacitation did an Israeli guard approach and execute him.[6][7][4]
Following the attack, Israel identified the three victims as its citizens who are workers at the border terminal and residents of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[8] Jordan identified the attacker as one of its citizens, named Maher Al-Jazy, a lone perpetrator from Al-Hussainiya, southern Jordan,[4] and issued an official condemnation for attacks against civilians, calling for de-escalation.[9][4] Meanwhile, hundreds of Jordanians in Amman celebrated the shooting.[10]
Background
The Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is located a few kilometers east of Jericho.[5] It connects the Israeli-occupied West Bank with Jordan, and has seen a number of violent incidents. The crossing primarily serves Palestinians and foreigners, with Israelis generally prohibited from using it.[4]
The bridge crossing was allegedly targeted by a cell of four operatives from Salt, Jordan, for blowing up with a truck bomb. Jordanian authorities arrested the cell members in July 2024, and they were not believed to have been affiliated with any external organization or other countries. The arrests were not made public until the day following the shooting attack described below.[11]
The attack
On the morning of September 8, 2024, around 10 a.m., Maher Al-Jazi, a 39-year-old Jordanian truck driver, arrived at the Allenby Crossing from Jordan. Concealing a Kalashnikov rifle in his truck, he approached the Israeli workers at the cargo terminal. Upon reaching them, he pulled out the weapon and began shooting at close range.[4]
The three victims, all employees of the Allenby Crossing terminal and residents of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank,[8] were critically injured and later pronounced dead. The victims were Yohanan Shchori, 61; Yuri Birnbaum, 65; and Adrian Marcelo Podsmeser, 57.[4][12]
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the incident as a terrorist attack. The IDF stated that the attacker drove a truck from Jordan, exited the vehicle, and began shooting at Israeli security forces. The IDF also released a photograph of the handgun used in the attack.[4] The gunman was shot and killed by a security guard.[7][4] Israeli authorities inspected his truck for over an hour after his death to ensure that the truck was not boobie trapped with explosives, given that a plot to blow up the crossing with a truck bomb was thwarted a few weeks prior.[11]
Responses
Jordan
Jordan released a statement saying that it closed its borders and is currently investigating this incident.[13] Later, Jordanian authorities identified the shooter as Maher Al-Jazi from Al-Hussainiya, Ma'an Governorate, in southern Jordan. The Jordanian Ministry of Interior reported that Al-Jazi had acted alone and was driving a vehicle transporting commercial goods from Jordan to the West Bank. The Jordanian government is coordinating the repatriation of Al-Jazi’s body for burial in Jordan.[4]
Jordan's Foreign Ministry condemned the shooting and rejected violence targeting civilians. The ministry also emphasized the need to address the root causes of the conflict and called for de-escalation.[4]
Following the attack, hundreds of Jordanians in Amman celebrated the shooting.[10]
Israel
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his condolences to the victims, stating: "I send my condolences from the bottom of my heart to their families and loved ones in prayer that they will know no more sorrow." He added that "the peace agreements between Israel and its neighbors are cornerstones in the quest for stability in the region, and we trust all parties to carry out a thorough investigation of this serious incident, the results of which require us to stand firm together in the face of terrorism."[12]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, referring to the perpetrator as a "despicable terrorist." Netanyahu also criticized what he referred to as a “murderous ideology” propagated by Iran's influence.[4]
Hamas
Hamas praised the attack and said it was "executed by a fearless Jordanian individual."[5]
Kata'ib Hezbollah
Kata'ib Hezbollah based in Iraq congratulated the "Islamic Resistance in Jordan" for the operation.[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Gunman crossing from Jordan kills three Israelis at border, Israeli army says". Reuters. September 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ Jamal, Edna Mohamed,Urooba (8 September 2024). "King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge shooter identified as Jordanian cargo driver: Jordanian gov't". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
Jordan's Ministry of Interior said that initial investigations into the shooting incident at King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge earlier today confirmed that the shooter was a Jordanian citizen named Maher Diab Hussein Al-Jazi, according to Jordan's news agency Petra.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Attacker kills 3 Israeli guards at Allenby Bridge – DW – 09/09/2024". 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Three Israeli civilians shot dead at Allenby Crossing between West Bank and Jordan". CNN. September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c Berger, Miriam; Timsit, Annabelle; Masih, Niha (2024-09-08). "Gunman kills 3 Israelis in rare attack at border crossing with Jordan". The Washington Post.
- ^ "مشاهد توثق قيام الاحتلال بتعمد إعدام الشهيد الأردني في المعبر (فيديو)". 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b "פיגוע בבקעת הירדן: שלושה נרצחים מירי במעבר אלנבי". www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
- ^ a b https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/two-three-allenby-bridge-shooting-victims-named?nid=390521&topic=Israel%2527s%2520war%2520on%2520Gaza&fid=529686
- ^ "Jordan's Foreign Ministry issues belated, tepid condemnation of deadly terror shooting". Times of Israel. 2024-09-09.
- ^ a b Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (2024-09-09). "Jordan's Islamists, buoyed by anger over Gaza, seek to shake up parliament at polls". Reuters.
- ^ a b "Jordan said to have thwarted plot to detonate boobytrapped truck at Allenby Bridge 6 weeks ago". Times of Israel. September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Three murdered in shooting at Jordanian border crossing". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ "Three killed in attack at West Bank-Jordan border, Israeli officials say". BBC News. 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
- ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-09-09.