Israel to close West Bank crossing to Jordan indefinitely

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JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH (Reuters) -Israel will indefinitely close the only crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan from Wednesday, days after reopening it following a shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers.

A spokesperson for the Israeli authority overseeing the Allenby crossing said that it would be closed from Wednesday morning “at the direction of the political leadership.” The statement did not provide any further reason for the closure.

Palestinian and Jordanian authorities had said earlier on Tuesday that Israel would close the border the following day.

The crossing serves as the main gateway for many Palestinians in the West Bank to travel abroad and is used to transport commercial goods between Jordan and the West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment during a public holiday in Israel. The military referred questions to the prime minister’s office.

The move comes after Netanyahu said on Sunday the government would give its “response” to other countries recognising a Palestinian state once he returns from a visit to the United States.

France, Britain, Canada and Australia are among several countries who have or will recognise Palestine this week, in what they hope will revive momentum for the two-state solution.

Some of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition allies have said that the government should annex the West Bank in response.

Israel fully reopened the Allenby Crossing on Monday, four days after a Jordanian truck driver shot dead two Israeli soldiers. The crossing was closed following the shooting.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ros Russell)