A Jordanian judge was shot dead at the Allenby border crossing on Monday, after he reportedly tried to snatch a weapon from an Israeli soldier.

The Israel Defense Forces said that the soldier opened fire on the man after he tried to attack him and steal his rifle. The border crossing has been temporarily closed.

The man, Raed Zueter, 38, was initially identified only as a Palestinian, but Zueter's brother told Haaretz that he lived with his family in Amman and worked there as a judge. A Jordanian judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the Associated Press that Zueter was a judge working in Amman since 2009.

Shootings at the Allenby crossing on the West Bank-Jordan border are rare. Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement 20 years ago and have close security ties.

The border terminal is operated jointly by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. It is the main border crossing for Palestinians from the West Bank traveling to neighboring Jordan and beyond, and it is a crossing point for goods between Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

Foreign diplomats and tourists also travel through the border crossing. Israelis are not permitted to use the crossing.