By Lior Ben Ari, Elisha Ben Kimon, Yoav Zitun

Copyright ynetnews

Israel said Thursday it has suspended humanitarian aid shipments from Jordan into the Gaza Strip following a deadly attack at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, where a Jordanian citizen opened fire and stabbed people, killing two Israelis. Government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said Amman was monitoring the incident but gave no further details. Israeli officials said the gunman, who had been contracted to transport a truck, crossed from the Jordanian side before opening fire. In response, Israel halted the flow of roughly 150 trucks a week that normally enter Gaza through Jordan — part of about 1,800 total shipments reaching the enclave weekly. Security officials stressed that assistance would continue via Egypt and other crossings. “We cannot stop humanitarian aid to Gaza, as it is part of a major international effort linked to the war,” one official said. The suspension has triggered debate in Jordan, where some social media users warned that civilians in Gaza could pay the price. “We fear every shooting incident outside aid convoys will be used as a flimsy pretext to block food and medicine,” wrote influencer Dahham al-Fawaz on X. “That means ordinary people will suffer for what happened at the crossing. We fear that their suffering will become a bargaining chip or a tool for collective punishment.” Others in Jordan urged caution, saying continued aid deliveries risk pulling the kingdom into conflict. “It’s so frustrating. For two years now they have been trying to drag us into war,” one netizen noted. “They want to lead and pretend to be heroes at the expense of our security and safety. Enough, leave us alone. Those who want to resist should leave and resist in another country.” Another online influencer added: “If sending aid to Gaza could escalate tensions or drag Jordan into a conflict with Israel, a permanent suspension of aid should be considered and the situation carefully reassessed to preserve stability and compliance with existing peace agreements.” Meanwhile, Jordanian authorities confirmed that passenger traffic across the Allenby crossing, which Israel closed after the attack, has been halted until further notice. Thursday’s deadly attack at the Allenby Bridge border crossing was not the first of its kind. Israeli officials noted it bore striking similarities to an assault on Sept. 8, 2024, when a Jordanian truck driver opened fire at the same crossing. In that incident, gunman Maher Al-Jazi, a Jordanian national who had previously been dismissed from military service, shot dead three Israelis — Yohanan Shchori, 61, Yuri Birnbaum, 65, and Adrian Marcelo Podsmeser, 57 — before being killed by border guards. Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya reported at the time that Jazi had been discharged from Jordan’s armed forces. According to the IDF, Jazi used a concealed pistol to open fire in the cargo terminal, where trucks from Jordan enter Israel. He stepped out of his vehicle and began shooting at Israeli forces securing the crossing. Security reinforcements were quickly dispatched, and the IDF confirmed he was neutralized at the scene. Troops also checked the truck for explosives to rule out additional threats. Jordan’s Interior Ministry announced an investigation, while senior officials in Jerusalem and Amman held immediate talks to contain fallout from the incident. The eastern frontier is a long-standing security concern for both Israel and Jordan, with intelligence pointing to repeated attempts by Iran and Hamas to smuggle weapons and explosives across the border. The Allenby Bridge, located near the city of Jericho and Palestinian villages in the Jordan Valley, serves as a vital conduit for trade. During the current war, it has also been a key route for Jordanian humanitarian convoys into Gaza.