On Thursday afternoon, September 18, 2025, violence erupted once again at Israel’s Allenby Crossing with Jordan, as a Jordanian aid truck driver opened fire and killed two Israeli soldiers in a shocking attack that has cast a shadow over regional cooperation and humanitarian efforts. The attack, confirmed by both Israeli and Jordanian officials, has reignited concerns about security at one of the Middle East’s most sensitive borders and raised tough questions about the intersection of humanitarian aid and militant violence.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the assailant arrived at the crossing in a truck transporting humanitarian aid from Jordan, a routine that has become increasingly common as international efforts to support Gaza intensify. The attacker, identified by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry as Abdul-Mutalib al-Qaisi, a man in his late 50s who had been driving aid trucks bound for Gaza for three months, waited for his vehicle to be inspected before launching a combined shooting and stabbing attack. The IDF stated, “The security forces neutralized the terrorist at the scene.”
The victims were identified as Sgt. Oran Hershko, 20, a liaison officer in the army’s international cooperation unit, and Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, an officer in the Civil Administration’s Unit 309. Paramedics from Israel’s Magen David Adom medical response group treated the two men for gunshot wounds, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. The death toll among Israeli troops on all fronts since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, now stands at a staggering 910, according to The Times of Israel.
In the immediate aftermath, Israeli soldiers launched a security sweep, encircling the city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley. The military’s response was swift and resolute, reflecting the gravity of the breach. An Israeli security source told Channel 12 that the attacker was a civilian hired by the Jordanian Armed Forces to transport aid to Gaza, underscoring the complex and sometimes opaque networks that facilitate cross-border humanitarian operations.
Adding to the tension, Israeli police officers and IDF troops discovered several assault rifles and gun parts in a bag near the Allenby Crossing the following day. Authorities believe these weapons were intended to be smuggled into Israel via the West Bank—a stark reminder that weapon smuggling attempts over the Jordan border are frequent and that the threat of further violence remains ever-present. The joint statement by the Israel Police and the military highlighted the ongoing challenges of securing the border, even as aid flows across it.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry was quick to condemn the attack, distancing the Hashemite Kingdom from the actions of the shooter. The incident, however, has reignited debate in Israel about the risks associated with facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza, especially when such operations can be exploited by those intent on carrying out violence. Jerusalem’s Foreign Ministry wrote in an X post, “The terror attack was yet another result of the vile incitement in Jordan. Israel facilitates humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the terrorists exploit it to murder Israelis. This is the result of the echoing of Hamas’s campaign of lies.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel echoed these concerns, stating, “Radical Islamists stop at nothing – turning even humanitarian aid, meant to serve civilians, into a weapon of war. This incitement of violence towards Israel must immediately stop. May the memory of the victims be a blessing.”
In response to the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir advised Israel’s political leadership to halt the delivery of humanitarian aid from Jordan, at least temporarily. After consultations with IDF Central Command and the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit, Zamir recommended pausing the deliveries pending a thorough investigation and “the implementation of revised screening procedures for Jordanian drivers,” according to an official statement. The move is intended to prevent further exploitation of humanitarian corridors by militants, but it also threatens to complicate the already fraught process of getting aid to Gaza’s embattled population.
The attack at Allenby Crossing is not without precedent. Just over a year ago, on September 8, 2024, another Jordanian terrorist drove a truck to the crossing, exited the vehicle, and opened fire, killing three Israelis. At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to work with Jordan to strengthen the Jewish state’s eastern border and maintain “peace and security” in the region. “In this multifront battle, we know we need to secure our eastern border with Jordan. It is a border of peace,” Netanyahu declared. “We cooperate with the Kingdom of Jordan to ensure that it remains so.”
The latest attack comes amid a period of heightened violence across the region. On the same day, four Israeli soldiers were killed by an explosive device during an operation in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, according to Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. These are the first casualties to be announced since Israel launched its new offensive in Gaza City, which has forced nearly 250,000 Palestinians to flee, as reported by the United Nations. The war’s toll is staggering: at least 460 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground invasion of Gaza began in October 2023, while the Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, reports at least 65,141 Palestinian deaths, though it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Adding to the day’s tension, a drone strike was reported near the southern Israeli city of Eilat, and a missile fired from Yemen set off air raid sirens in Jerusalem. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Israel with drones and missiles, often drawing retaliatory airstrikes. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from these incidents.
The Allenby Crossing attack has also intensified scrutiny of the procedures governing humanitarian aid deliveries and the vetting of drivers and workers involved in these operations. The fact that the attacker had been transporting aid for three months raises difficult questions about the adequacy of background checks and ongoing monitoring. Israeli officials are now under pressure to balance the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza with the imperative of preventing further attacks on their own soil.
For many Israelis, the attack is a painful reminder of the risks their soldiers face not only in active combat zones but also in the liminal spaces where aid, diplomacy, and security intersect. For Jordanians, it is a moment of reckoning about the potential for individuals to subvert national efforts to provide humanitarian relief. And for Palestinians in Gaza, the incident threatens to further disrupt the already tenuous flow of aid upon which so many depend.
As investigations continue and security protocols are reassessed, the Allenby Crossing stands as both a gateway and a flashpoint—a place where hopes for peace and cooperation are tested by the ever-present specter of violence. The events of September 18, 2025, will not soon be forgotten, serving as a stark illustration of the region’s volatility and the urgent need for vigilance, dialogue, and, perhaps above all, trust.