Israel said Tuesday that it would close the Allenby Crossing between Jordan and the West Bank “until further notice,” stranding most Palestinians for whom the gate is their only way out of the territory.
The crossing had originally closed Friday, a day after two Israeli soldiers were killed there in a stabbing and shooting attack by a Jordanian man hired to drive humanitarian aid to Gaza. The crossing has since reopened intermittently but remained closed to Gaza-bound aid.
The Israel Airports Authority, which oversees the crossing, said the entry and exit point will be closed as a result of a directive from the political echelon.
Nazmi Muhanna, head of the Palestinian Crossing and Borders Authority, told the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, Wafa, that Israel informed them the crossing will be closed from tomorrow morning until further notice.
Army Radio reported that security officials received instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close the border in both directions.
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The outlet said it asked the Prime Minister’s Office if the decision to close the border crossing was linked to the wave of international recognitions of a Palestinian state, but did not receive a response.
Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhak Harosh and Sgt. Oran Hershko, who were killed in an attack at Allenby Crossing, September 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Jordan had on Sunday reopened the crossing to pedestrian traffic — not cargo — but Israel abruptly closed the crossing hours later.
The crossing reopened on Monday, but closed again ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which began Monday night and will last until Wednesday night. The crossing, which is the West Bank’s only land crossing with Jordan, had been expected to reopen after the holiday.
While it had reopened to passengers, the Allenby Crossing has remained closed to humanitarian aid shipments en route to the Gaza Strip until the investigation into the killing at the border point is completed and the inspection procedures for Jordanian drivers are updated.
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