An Israeli security official who was attacked Sunday night at the Israeli embassy compound in Amman shot and killed the Jordanian man who attacked him, according to statements from Jordanian and Israeli officials.
A second Jordanian man at the scene, who was the landlord of the building, was also injured and later died of his wounds.
The Jordanian, who was in the embassy compound for routine furniture replacement, attacked the security official from behind, by stabbing him with a screwdriver, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
“The security official, who was slightly wounded, defended himself. During the incident, the Jordanian worker was killed, but the landlord was injured as well. He later died of his wounds,” the statement said.
The Jordanian Public Security Directorate confirmed on Monday in a statement that the second Jordanian man died. The statement identified him as “a physician who was at the scene of the shooting.”
“In accordance with the Vienna Convention, the security officer has immunity from investigation and imprisonment,” the Israeli foreign ministry said.
Israel lifted a gag order Monday imposed the night before. Israeli authorities are working with their Jordanian counterparts, the Israeli foreign ministry said.
Metal detectors
Tensions have soared since Israel installed metal detectors outside the entrance to one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.
On Sunday, the Israeli government installed security cameras in the area.
The decision was taken in the aftermath of an attack at the site in which two Israeli police officers were killed.
A significant percentage of Jordan’s population is of Palestinian origin and a Jordanian religious authority, the Waqf, administers the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary.
On Friday, thousands of Jordanians took to the streets to protest the situation in Jerusalem.
Violence
Earlier in the weekend, on Friday night, three Israelis were killed in their home in the West Bank settlement of Halamish when police say a young Palestinian man breached the settlement’s security fence and stabbed them to death. Yosef Solomon, 70, and his son, Elad, and daughter, Chaya, died in the attack.
In a statement posted on Facebook prior to the attack, the assailant said he was motivated by the Israeli government’s recent restrictions on al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, according to an Israeli military spokesman.
Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the attack, saying: “We bless the heroic Halamish operation which came as a result to the Zionist occupation violations and crimes against our people in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque,” the group said on Twitter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would look to destroy the home of the attacker as soon as possible, a routine measure intended as a deterrent against future attacks.
The Israeli military arrested more than 20 Palestinians in an overnight sweep on Sunday near the site of Friday night’s attack, according to an Israeli military official. The Palestinians were suspected of preparing attacks in the immediate future or of being members of the militant group Hamas, the official said.
Meanwhile, four Palestinians were killed in ongoing demonstrations against Israeli security forces Friday and Saturday.
President Abbas has suspended all contacts between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government on Friday in protest of the metal detectors.
Israel’s government met late Sunday night and into the early hours of Monday morning to discuss whether there would be any changes to the security situation.