Jordanian and Israeli authorities have reported that a driver bringing humanitarian aid from Jordan to Gaza fatally shot two Israeli soldiers on Thursday at the King Hussein Bridge, which connects to the West Bank, before he was killed by security forces.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which Israel has labeled a “terrorist act” at the sole crossing for Palestinians moving from the occupied West Bank to Jordan.
According to Israeli emergency services, two individuals succumbed to their injuries, while the assailant was shot dead by security personnel.
In Amman, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement identifying the driver involved as Abdel-Muttalib Qaisi, born in 1968, who had been working for three months as a driver for aid deliveries to Gaza.
The ministry added, “Jordanian authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting incident that occurred this afternoon on the other side of the King Hussein Bridge (Al-Karama crossing), which Jordan condemns and rejects,” noting that it constitutes “a violation of the law and jeopardizes the Kingdom’s ability to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”
The Israeli military stated that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir advised the government to halt the passage of humanitarian aid from Jordan until the investigation into the incident is completed, and to implement thorough checks of Jordanian drivers.