Israel has closed the King Hussein Bridge, its only crossing with the occupied West Bank, following a shooting incident where a Jordanian truck driver killed three members of Israel’s security forces. The driver, Maher Dyab Hussein al-Jazi, was shot dead by an Israeli security guard. The incident has not affected Jordan’s upcoming parliamentary elections, and experts believe it was a one-off event fueled by anger over the situation in Gaza. Jordan closed its crossings with Israel in response to the incident.
Despite the closure, analysts do not expect an impact on imports and exports between the two countries. The King Hussein/Allenby Bridge is vital for trade, with goods flowing between Jordan, the occupied West Bank, and Israel. The closure has disrupted the movement of cargo trucks, but passenger traffic has resumed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to link the shooting to Iran, while Jordan called it an individual attack and condemned violence.
The incident has not affected tourism or Palestinian travel, as Palestinians and tourists can still use the bridge crossing. Israel has reopened the border for passenger traffic, but cargo trucks remained barred. Israeli and Jordanian officials are investigating the shooting, but experts do not foresee a rise in similar attacks. The shooting was seen as an isolated incident, and Jordanian authorities have the situation under control. The closure comes amidst heightened tensions in the region, with ongoing violence in Gaza and unrest in the West Bank.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com