By Itamar Eichner, Lior Ben Ari, Elisha Ben Kimon

Copyright ynetnews

Hours after the deadly terror attack at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, carried out by a Jordanian assailant who was driving a humanitarian aid truck bound for Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening that the two victims were IDF soldiers. Earlier in the day, the Foreign Ministry issued an unusually harsh statement against Jordan, calling the attack “another result of the criminal incitement” in the neighboring kingdom. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said in response that authorities had opened an investigation into the “shooting incident,” which Amman said it “condemns and rejects.” In an interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu said: “We are at war, and the price is heavy. I know what it is to be part of a bereaved family. The only comfort you can find is that these heroes fell so this country can live. That is the truth — we live here because of them.” The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in its statement: “Israel allows humanitarian aid into Gaza, and terrorists exploit it to murder Israelis. Today, a Jordanian who was supposed to drive a humanitarian aid truck to Gaza murdered two Israelis at the Allenby Bridge crossing. This is the result of criminal incitement, the result of Hamas’ campaign of lies being echoed. This must stop.” Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said the attack was “a violation of the law and a threat to the kingdom’s interests and its ability to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.” Officials said they were monitoring the condition of Jordanian drivers who crossed the border to deliver aid on Thursday to ensure their immediate return to Jordan. The terrorist was identified as Abed al-Mutaleb al-Qaisi, a 56-year-old Jordanian national who began working as a humanitarian aid driver to Gaza three months prior to the attack. Two Israeli men, aged 68 and 20, were killed when al-Qaisi opened fire and stabbed them. Following the attack, Israel suspended humanitarian aid shipments from Jordan to Gaza until Jordan’s investigation is completed and its findings are transferred to Israel. Israeli security officials confirmed the suspension but said it was unrelated to Jordan’s inquiry. Typically, about 150 trucks arrive in Gaza each week from Jordan, out of some 1,800 to 2,000 trucks entering the Strip weekly. Most aid enters through Egypt and Israel via the Kerem Shalom crossing. According to the IDF, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir recommended halting aid shipments from Jordan until the investigation is complete and procedures for Jordanian drivers are revised. Security officials stressed that the Jordanian route makes up only a small part of the aid supply. “We cannot stop aid to Gaza because we are engaged in a major international effort,” one official said. “Aid will continue to flow from Egypt and other crossings.”