Aid Driver Kills Two Israeli Military Personnel at Jordan Border Crossing: Attack Shuts Down Vital Aid Route to Gaza
In a shocking escalation of violence at a key humanitarian gateway, a Jordanian aid truck driver opened fire and stabbed two Israeli military personnel to death at the Allenby Bridge border crossing on September 18, 2025, before being neutralized by security forces. The incident, which occurred amid routine inspections of Gaza-bound aid convoys, has prompted Israel to close all land border crossings, severely disrupting the flow of essential supplies to the war-torn enclave and raising fears of broader regional tensions.
The Allenby Crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, serves as a critical lifeline for commercial goods and humanitarian aid between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, facilitating about 7% of all deliveries to Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023—nearly 10,000 trucks carrying over 144,000 tons of aid. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the assailant, identified by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry as Abdel-Mutalib al-Qaisi, a late-50s Jordanian national who had been driving aid trucks to Gaza for three months, arrived in a truck loaded with humanitarian supplies. He stepped out during the inspection, fired at close range, and when his gun jammed, stabbed one victim before Israeli forces shot him dead at the scene.
The victims, both men—one in his 20s and the other around 60—were pronounced dead by Magen David Adom emergency services despite immediate medical efforts. Israeli media identified one as a soldier and the other as a West Bank settler in military uniform, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed both were soldiers. The IDF swiftly encircled the nearby West Bank city of Jericho in a manhunt for potential accomplices, while searches were conducted in the area.
Immediate Fallout: Border Closures and Aid Disruptions
In response, Israel shuttered the Allenby Crossing and all other land borders, including the one with Egypt, halting passenger and cargo traffic indefinitely. This closure threatens to exacerbate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, where aid shortages have already led to widespread hunger and medical emergencies. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir recommended pausing Jordanian aid entries until enhanced screening protocols for drivers are implemented. Jordan’s government condemned the attack as a “threat to its humanitarian role” and launched an investigation, with spokesman Mohammad al-Momani monitoring developments. Passenger services were suspended from the Jordanian side as well, per state media.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry decried the exploitation of aid routes for violence, stating, “Israel facilitates humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the terrorists exploit it to murder Israelis.” Netanyahu, speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense “beyond its borders.”
Echoes of Past Violence: A Pattern at the Crossing
This attack marks the second deadly incident at Allenby in a year; in September 2024, another Jordanian truck driver killed three Israelis there before being killed by forces, leading to a two-day shutdown. Such events are rare but underscore vulnerabilities at crossings amid the Israel-Hamas war and broader regional strife. The timing coincides with ongoing IDF operations in Gaza, where four soldiers were killed in the south on the same day, and a drone strike near Eilat.
As investigations proceed, the incident highlights the fragile balance between security and aid delivery in the Middle East. With Gaza’s needs mounting, diplomatic efforts may intensify to reopen routes, but for now, the human cost weighs heavily on both sides.