Three Israelis shot dead at West Bank-Jordan crossing

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - AMMAN — Three Israeli men have been shot dead at a border point between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials said.

The gunman - identified by the Israeli military as Jordanian Maher Jazi - approached the Allenby Bridge crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck then got out and opened fire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Security personnel "eliminated" the gunman and the IDF checked the truck over for signs of explosives, a statement said.

Jordan says it is investigating the incident, which happened in an Israeli-controlled area where Jordanian vehicles offload goods entering the West Bank. The border point has now been closed from both sides. The Allenby crossing mainly serves Palestinians and foreigners. Israelis are not allowed to use it.

Jordanian authorities said a preliminary investigation had identified the suspect as Maher Diab Hussein Al-Jazi, a Jordanian citizen from Al-Hussainiya in the Maan governorate south of the capital, Amman.

Al-Jazi had acted alone, the Jordanian Ministry of Interior said, adding that he had driven over the crossing in a vehicle taking commercial goods from Jordan to the West Bank. It said various authorities were now coordinating the repatriation of Al-Jazi’s body for burial in Jordan. –Agencies