Jordan partnering with Israel despite Gaza genocide
Planned cross-border industrial zone to include hospital, medical tourism, and economic corridor linking India, Middle East, and Europe
EMEK HAMAAYANOT, Israel (MNTV) — Israel is advancing plans to build a hospital to serve Jordanian patients as part of the joint Israeli-Jordanian industrial park, known as the Jordan Gateway, located along their shared border.
The project aims to facilitate cross-border work and strengthen economic cooperation between the two nations, despite Israel facing international condemnation for its regional wars including genocide in Gaza.
Itamar Matiash, head of the regional council overseeing Israel’s side of the industrial park, said the hospital could serve as a specialized center for cancer treatment, attracting patients from Jordan and beyond.
The industrial zone is expected to bolster Israel’s economy while providing employment opportunities to Jordanians, where unemployment stands at roughly 18 percent, compared with about 3 percent in Israel.
The Jordan Gateway was first proposed during the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace talks and approved by the Israeli government in 2022, but progress stalled due to legal disputes between the state, the bridge contractor, and the regional council.
Over the past year, mediation efforts have resolved these disagreements, allowing development to resume.
Matiash noted that several low-tech factories already employ Jordanians across the border, while Israel’s side will focus on higher-value projects, including medical tourism, innovation hubs, academia, and the planned hospital.
The Finance Ministry is coordinating a new access road to the zone in partnership with the Transportation and Regional Cooperation ministries.
The Jordan Gateway sits on a strategic node of the US-backed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which aims to link India with the Middle East, Israel, and Europe through rail and shipping routes.
Under the plan, goods would pass through Jordan Gateway into Israel, then be transported to Haifa Port and onward to Europe. US and EU officials are expected to visit the site in the coming weeks to evaluate the project.
Security arrangements remain a priority due to past border incidents, including attacks by truck drivers entering Israel from Jordan and concerns following the October 2023 Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.
Matiash emphasized that the industrial zone will operate as an “ex-territorial bubble,” allowing Israelis and Jordanians to cross into each other’s industrial areas without entering sovereign territory, while full border entry will still require the Allenby Crossing.
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