Gunman opens fire near Israeli Embassy in Jordan, is shot dead; 3 cops wounded
Local officials say incident is over, as state media says gunfire was directed at a police patrol in Amman and that an investigation is ongoing
AMMAN, Jordan — A gunman opened fire near the Israeli Embassy in Jordan early Sunday, a security source and state media said, adding that the gunman was killed and three policemen were injured in the incident, which was over.
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighborhood of Amman, state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing.
Jordanian police had earlier cordoned off an area near the heavily policed embassy after gunshots were heard, witnesses said. Two witnesses said police and ambulances rushed to the Rabiah neighborhood, where the embassy is located.
Police had called on residents to stay in their homes as security personnel searched for the culprits, a security source said.
The area is a flashpoint for frequent demonstrations against Israel.
The kingdom has witnessed some of the biggest rallies across the region as anti-Israel sentiment runs high in Arab countries over the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas terror group’s onslaught of October 7, 2023.
تغطية صحفية: سماع إطلاق نار في محيط سفارة الاحتلال في العاصمة عمان مع تواجد أمني مكثف pic.twitter.com/Ompju7JX31
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) November 24, 2024
In March, Jordanian riot police had to fire tear gas to push back hundreds of demonstrators marching on the embassy to protest the military operation.
Israeli ambassador Rogel Rachman has been in Israel since leaving for security reasons in the wake of the October 7 massacre.
Bilateral relations, established in 1994 but long-suffering from deep unpopularity in the Hashemite Kingdom, took a further hit in 2017 following a deadly shooting incident in Amman involving an Israeli embassy guard.
Two Jordanians were killed and the Israeli security guard, Ziv Moyal, was injured in the embassy compound, during an apparent altercation between them. The details of the event were a subject of disagreement between Israel and Jordan.
