Ugandan, Two Ethiopian Nationals Killed by IDF Fire After Crossing Into Israel From Jordan

The three are the first fatalities in recent years along the eastern border killed by IDF gunfire not related to security concerns. The military said they approached a unit threateningly. Five others were arrested and returned to Jordan

Israeli troops shot and killed a Ugandan citizen and two Ethiopian citizens Friday night who crossed into Israel from Jordan.

Five individuals, including three women, were arrested and returned to Jordan by the military as part of the “hot return” procedure. Under this procedure, the IDF on the ground decides whether to send individuals who have crossed into Israel back to Jordan, even if they may be asylum seekers.

In recent years, asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking have crossed the Jordanian border into Israel, however, the eight individuals arrested are believed to be economic migrants looking for work opportunities in Israel.

The three fatalities are the first to be killed by IDF fire on the eastern border in recent years, without a security-related context.

The military says that forces were dispatched to the area following an IDF spotter report that alerted them to a border breach, and that the police blocked the local roads during the incident.

According to the IDF, the three individuals approached an Israeli force threateningly. According to sources in the army, officers in charge of the force ordered the soldiers to fire warning shots, and the three individuals were hit, despite being relatively far from the force.

The individuals being returned to Jordan include four Sri Lankan citizens and one additional Ethiopian citizen, despite a court ruling condemning the deportation of Ethiopian citizens from Israel due to the unstable political situation in their country.

In August 2023, it was reported in Haaretz that, alongside the growing movement of people along the Jordanian border, the use of the “hot return” procedure had increased.