Israel-Jordan Border Crossings Closed After Terrorist Kills 3

Jerusalem, 8 September, 2024 (TPS) -- Three Israelis workers at the Allenby Border crossing with Jordan were shot and killed when a truck driver approaching the terminal from Jordan at the terminal opened fire. The attack prompted Israeli authorities to temporarily close all land crossings with Jordan.

The driver was killed by security guards on the scene.

The three victims, workers at the crossing, were declared dead at the scene by Magen David Adom emergency responders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack in remarks at the beginning of the weekly government meeting in Jerusalem.

“We are surrounded by a murderous ideology led by Iran’s axis of evil. In recent days, abhorrent terrorists murdered six of our hostages and three Israel Police officers in cold blood. The murderers do not differentiate between us. They want to murder us all, right and left, secular and religious, Jews and non-Jews, until the last one,” Netanyahu said.

One victim was identified as Yohanan Shahouri, a 61-year-old father of six from Ma’ale Efraim. He was a work manager at the crossing and a volunteer in Maale Ephraim’s kitah konenut, or civilian security team.

Also killed was 65-year-old Yuri Birnbaum, of Moshav Naama near Jericho.

The third victim was identified as Adrian Marcelo Podmesser, a resident of Ariel.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the terrorist exited the vehicle during an inspection and began firing at guards who returned fire. He was identified as Maher Dhiab Hussein al-Jazi, 39.

The Israeli Airports Authority, which oversees the border crossings, announced during the afternoon that three other land crossings with Jordan would be temporarily closed on the advice of security authorities. It wasn’t clear how long the crossings would remain closed.

According to the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit (COGAT), around 15 percent of all the humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza came from Jordan.

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