Al Karamah Crossing Incident: Individual Act or Growing Resistance?

A Jordanian citizen opened fire at the Al Karamah crossing—known as the King Hussein Bridge in Jordan and the Allenby Bridge in Israel—resulting in the deaths of three Israeli security guards. This incident took place in a commercial zone under Israeli control, where Jordanian trucks unload goods bound for the West Bank. While the crossing has seen relatively few security breaches since 2014, when Israeli guards fatally shot a Jordanian judge they claimed had attacked them, this latest episode marks a significant and potentially destabilising development.   The timing is particularly notable. The current incident marks a significant and troubling development, being the first of its kind since the events of October 7, which triggered the Israel-Hamas war and escalated tensions across the region. Its occurrence comes amid heightened Israeli military operations, including a nine-day incursion into the city of Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp in the West Bank.   Israel’s immediate response was to seal all land crossings with Jordan, halting civilian passage and initiating investigations into the Jordanian trucks present at the time of the attack. This blockade has resulted in significant logistical disruptions, with dozens of convoys stranded at the border. The incident not only exacerbates regional tensions but also prompts critical questions: Is this an isolated incident, or does it represent the fuse for a broader wave of resistance against Israeli policies in the occupied territories?

The Houthi militia targeted shipping traffic in Bab al-Mandeb Strait, aiming to exert pressure on Israel to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip. This resulted in the striking of dozens of ships as they traversed the strait in both directions.   Between November 19, 2023, and January 29, 2024, a total of thirty-five ships were targeted. The series of attacks commenced with the seizure of the vessel ‘Galaxy Leader’ and concluded with the naval missile strike on the ship " ‘Lewis B. Puller.’

South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ is a welcome attempt to revive the global social order but failure to bring about real proportionate justice will only further confirm the current state of international anarchy and embolden other rogue actors.   On Jan. 11, 2024, Israel appeared before the International Court of Justice in The Hague at the first hearing in the case presented against it by South Africa. Israel has been accused of committing the crime of genocide and may be subjected to provisional measures, which would request it to decrease all acts from within Article II of the Genocide Convention and halt its military operations in the Gaza Strip. The State of Israel, established in 1948, the same year that the U.N. Genocide Convention was adopted, may be charged with breaching the Convention, of which it is a signatory.