Israel has closed the Allenby Bridge, the only official crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, leaving more than two million Palestinians stranded and unable to travel abroad or return home. The Israeli Airports Authority announced the indefinite closure from Wednesday, citing instructions from political leadership without giving a reason.
The closure follows a recent incident where two Israeli soldiers were shot dead near the crossing by a Jordanian gunman, who was also killed at the scene. Though the bridge briefly reopened afterward, it is now closed again.
Prominent Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti described the move as “dangerous,” saying it effectively imprisons West Bank residents and cuts off their only passage to the outside world. The Allenby Bridge, also called the King Hussein Bridge, lies between Amman and Jerusalem and is the only entry to the West Bank that does not pass through Israel.
Most Palestinians in the West Bank cannot travel via Israeli airports or other crossings, making the bridge essential. Thousands of families are affected, including Palestinians stuck in Jordan who lack resources for accommodation.
Jordan hosts more than two million registered Palestinian refugees and over half of its population is of Palestinian descent. The country has maintained security, trade, and diplomatic ties with Israel since the 1994 peace treaty, while criticizing Israel’s actions toward Palestinians.
Medical student Maxim Giacaman, 23, from Bethlehem, said the closure prevented him from traveling to Germany for a key cardiac surgery elective.
The Allenby Bridge is also a key route for trade and humanitarian aid, with about 9% of goods sent to Gaza passing through it. Palestinians fear the closure is a response to recent recognition of the State of Palestine by countries including the UK, France, Australia, and Canada. Israeli officials have labeled the recognition a “reward for terrorism,” and some ultranationalist ministers have called for annexing the West Bank.
Since the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and left 251 hostages, Israel has tightened control over the West Bank, establishing new checkpoints, advancing settlements, and conducting military operations.
Barghouti criticized the international community for failing to restrain Israel’s “oppressive policies,” saying only serious punitive measures can have an effect.
The Allenby Bridge was named after British General Edmund Allenby, who captured Palestine from the Ottoman Empire in 1917. Israel has controlled its side since the 1967 Six-Day War and has previously closed it temporarily for security or religious reasons.
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