Jordanian police killed an unidentified gunman in a shootout near the Israeli Embassy early Sunday after he opened fire in the capital’s Rabiah neighborhood, leaving three officers wounded in the latest incident reflecting regional tensions.
The Public Security Directorate said officers pursued the attacker following initial gunfire in the embassy area. “He was chased and surrounded, so he started firing gunshots at the security force, which in turn applied the rules of engagement, which resulted in the killing of the perpetrator,” the directorate stated. Authorities have not released the shooter’s identity or potential motives.
The incident occurs amid strained relations between Jordan and Israel over the Gaza offensive launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, has experienced repeated protests outside the Israeli Embassy, with demonstrators occasionally clashing with police.
The kingdom, home to a significant Palestinian population, has witnessed growing public anger over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In September, a similar incident occurred when Maher al-Jazi, a retired Jordanian soldier, killed three Israelis at a border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank before being shot dead by Israeli security forces.
Jordan, traditionally a key Western ally in the region, maintains diplomatic ties with Israel despite mounting public pressure and regional tensions stemming from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
