THREE people were shot and killed today at the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, Israeli officials said.

The Israeli military said the gunman approached the Allenby Bridge, crossing from the Jordanian side in a truck and opened fire at Israeli security forces, who killed the assailant in a shoot out. 

This came a day after Israel was engulfed in more mass protests demanding a ceasefire deal to free hostages taken by Hamas.

The Israeli military said that the three people killed at the border crossing were Israeli civilians. 

Jordan’s Petra News Agency said that authorities were investigating the incident.

The Western-allied Arab country made peace with Israel in 1994, but is deeply critical of its policies toward the Palestinians. Jordan has a large Palestinian population and has seen mass protests against Israel over the war on Palestinians in Gaza.

The Allenby crossing over the Jordan River is mainly used by Israelis, Palestinians and international tourists.

The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen a surge of violence since Hamas’s October 7 attack. 

Israel has launched daily military raids into dense Palestinian residential areas, and there has also been a rise in settler violence against the Palestinians.

In Gaza, meanwhile, an Israeli air strike early Sunday killed five people, including two women, two children and a senior official in the Civil Defence.

The Civil Defence, the first responders for the Gaza administration, said the strike targeted the home of its deputy director for north Gaza, Mohammed Morsi, in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. 

Negotiations involving the United States, Qatar and Egypt over a possible ceasefire deal have remained bogged down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu widely blamed for blocking progress.

For weeks, thousands of Israelis have been pouring onto the streets to protest against the government’s failure to secure the return of remaining hostages in Gaza.

The new protest came a week after one of the largest demonstrations of the war following the discovery of another six dead hostages in Gaza, and after Mr Netanyahu pushed back against pressure for a ceasefire deal declaring that “no-one will preach to me.”

Efrat Machikawa, niece of hostage Gadi Moses, who was protesting in Tel Aviv, said: “I think even those who were maybe reluctant to go out, who are not used to protest, who are sad but prefer to be in private space within their sadness, understood our voice must join together to one huge scream: Bring the hostages with a deal.”

She added: “Do not risk their lives.”