“Three Israelis were shot and killed Sunday at the border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan,” officials said.
Following a retrieval of six bodies from Gaza roughly a week ago, a heart wrenching incident unfolded on the 8th of September, 2024, at the West Bank’s Allenby Bridge border crossing with Jordan, where three Israelis were killed in a gunshot attack.
The shooting occurred in the early morning hours at West Bank’s Allenby Bridge border crossing with Jordan which is a common route for Israeli citizens and Palestinians traveling to and from Jordan.
In a press statement released by the Israel Defence Forces, the gunman who has been identified by the Israeli military as Maher Jazi—a 39-year-old Jordanian who worked as a truck driver, approached the Allenby Bridge crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck, got out and opened fire.
In response to this, security personnels eliminated the gunman after which the IDF checked the truck for signs of explosives — none was found.
The three Israelis who died from the onslaught of Maher Kazi were identified as Yohanan Shchori (61 years old), Yuri Birnbaum (65 years old), and Adrian Marcelo Podzamczer, whose age wasn't known.
West Bank’s Allenby bridge, which is also known as King Hussein Bridge, lies roughly halfway between Amman and Jerusalem and is the only official crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan that does not go through Israel.
Following this incident, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister described the 8th of September, when the West Bank Jordan crossing attack occurred as a "hard day" and sent his condolences to the victims' families at the start of a cabinet meeting.
He added: "A loathsome terrorist murdered three of our citizens in cold blood at the Allenby Bridge."
Hamas officials did not claim responsibility for the attack, but described it as a "natural response" to the war in Gaza, leaving nothing but trails of speculations and suspicions.
The Palestinian health ministry says more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank violence since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
During the same period, at least 18 Israelis were killed in West Bank violence, according to United Nations (UN) figures, which do not include deaths since 11 August.
Last week, Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin city and its refugee camp - an area in the West Bank - after a major nine-day operation there. The area is a stronghold of militants and has a civilian population of about 60,000.
Israel says it is trying to stop deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, and acting against terrorism.
Final Remarks
The tragic events at the Allenby Bridge border crossing on September 8, 2024, is an unwanted reminder of the escalating violence in the region.
The senseless killing of three Israeli civilians by Maher Jazi, a Jordanian truck driver, has further strained relations between Israel and its neighbors and none can tell what the future holds until more is discovered.
A diplomatic solution is needed now more than ever to prevent more blood spills and the loss of lives in the region.