The terrorist attack at the Allenby crossing on Thursday illustrates the increasing concerns Israeli officials have about threats from the Kingdom of Jordan over the past several years. The attack was very similar to one last September.
There are three border crossings with Jordan: one in Eilat, one at Allenby Bridge near the Dead Sea, and one near Beit She’an in the North.
The Allenby crossing is important for trucks and other items entering the West Bank. It is also a main crossing for Palestinians and some foreign nationals.
A Jordanian truck driver who was driving humanitarian aid is a suspect in the terrorist attack. Two Israeli soldiers were killed, according to reports. One terrorist was killed. An investigation was under way to determine if there were accomplices.
That an armed man was able to enter the crossing area is a serious problem. It is similar to the attack last year and, therefore, could illustrate that Israel’s concerns about increased threats from Jordan are being realized.
Here is a look at what happened and the commonalities with the past.
“A security source reported that the terrorist who carried out the attack at the Allenby crossing is a Jordanian citizen hired by the Jordanian army to transport an aid truck from Jordan to the Gaza Strip,” Ynet reported. “The terrorist began shooting upon his arrival at the crossing, before the truck underwent the required inspection.”
Earlier, the IDF said a terrorist had “arrived in a truck transporting humanitarian aid from Jordan and opened fire. The security forces neutralized the terrorist at the scene.”
Soldiers had conducted searches around Jericho, it said.
The truck was said to have been bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. About 150 trucks bound for Gaza pass through the Allenby crossing every week, or some 25 a day.
Last September, three Israelis were killed in a similar attack. The terrorist was a Jordanian citizen.
Jordan's role in West Bank weapon smuggling
In April 2024, a Jordanian member of Parliament was arrested trying to smuggle weapons through the Allenby crossing.
“Authorities said they found 12 machine guns and 270 other types of firearms, according to unverified video on Israeli social media,” the BBC reported at the time.
There have been other smuggling attempts from Jordan. They are part of the larger flow of illegal weapons entering the West Bank and Israel.
For instance, three brothers were murdered in the Negev on Thursday, according to media reports. While such murders are attributed to criminal activity, they are fueled by illegal weapons.
The number of murders has increased in recent years, especially in Arab Israeli communities. A total of 189 people have been killed in 2025.
The threats along the Jordan border have increased so much that the IDF established a new division tasked with aiding the defense of the border. The 96th Division was formed and fast-tracked into operation this June.
In addition, the 47th Battalion, or Lions of the Valley, is a coed combat unit that patrols the Jordan Valley.
In essence, Israel is increasingly worried about chaos on the borders in the wake of the October 7 massacre. It doesn’t want to underestimate its enemies. Therefore, the IDF is acting to preempt threats.
The Jordanian border has been relatively peaceful for decades. But there was a time when this wasn’t the case.
After the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel conquered the West Bank, there were many attempts by Palestinian terrorist groups to attack Israel from Jordan. The IDF also raided these Palestinian groups, resulting in battles such as the one at Karameh on the Jordanian side in 1968.
It is not clear if the concerns about threats in Jordan are as bad as some portray them.
There are people who are radicalized in Jordan. Nevertheless, Jordan has an interest in preventing attacks and reducing extremism. It has a very effective intelligence service and maintains close ties with the UK, the US, and the Gulf states.
Concerns about Iran seeking to penetrate Jordan have been one of the reasons for increased border security. But Iran has difficulty penetrating Sunni communities in Jordan. Iranian proxies, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are not popular in Jordan.
In addition, after losing Syria, Iran is worried about its future in Iraq. Provoking Jordan would not help Tehran. Nevertheless, the presence of illegal weapons means there might be an increase in attacks.