Three Israeli men were shot dead at a border checkpoint between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli officials.

The gunman, identified by the Israeli military as Jordanian Maher Jazi, approached the Allenby Bridge crossing in a truck, then exited and opened fire, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Security personnel “eliminated” the gunman, and the IDF inspected the truck for explosives.

Jordan is investigating the incident, which occurred in an Israeli-controlled area where Jordanian vehicles unload goods for the West Bank. The border point has been closed from both sides. Israeli media identified the victims as Yohanan Shchori, 61, Yuri Birnbaum, 65, and Adrian Marcelo Podzamczer, whose age was not disclosed. They were reported to be guards at the border crossing but were not military or police personnel.

Kan News, Israel’s state broadcaster, reported that Jazi, a 39-year-old truck driver, was the attacker. Video footage showed him walking to the terminal and firing his weapon three times before being shot dead. A Jordanian border official told Reuters that at least two dozen Jordanian truck drivers in the offloading area had been detained by Israel’s military for questioning.

Following the incident, all of Israel’s land crossings with Jordan were closed, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

The Allenby Bridge crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is situated about midway between Amman and Jerusalem and is the only official crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan that does not pass through Israel.

While Jordan and Israel have security, trade, and diplomatic relations, Jordan is critical of Israel’s actions toward Palestinians. Dozens of trucks cross from Jordan daily to supply goods to markets in both the West Bank and Israel.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “hard day” and sent his condolences to the victims’ families at the start of a cabinet meeting.

He added: “A loathsome terrorist murdered three of our citizens in cold blood at the Allenby Bridge.”

Hamas officials did not claim responsibility for the attack, but described it as a “natural response” to the war in Gaza.

The Palestinian health ministry says more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank violence since Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

During the same period, at least 18 Israelis were killed in West Bank violence, according to United Nations (UN) figures, which do not include deaths since 11 August.

Last week, Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin city and its refugee camp – an area in the West Bank – after a major nine-day operation there. The area is a stronghold of militants and has a civilian population of about 60,000.

Israel says it is trying to stem deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, and acting against terrorism.