Israeli army fires ‘warning shots’ at French and other diplomats visiting West Bank
The Israeli army on Wednesday fired shots at a delegation of regional, European and Western diplomats visiting the West Bank city of Jenin, sparking condemnations from the Palestinian Authority and several European capitals. An IDF statement said its troops fired "warning shots" and that the delegation "deviated from the approved route". No one was injured in the incident.
A group of foreign diplomats came under fire while visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomats were on an official mission to observe the humanitarian situation in Jenin when shots rang out.
An aid worker, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said a delegation of about 20 diplomats was being briefed about the situation in Jenin by the Palestinian Authority. The group of regional, European and Western diplomats were standing near the entrance of the Jenin refugee camp when they heard gunshots just before 2pm local time, said witnesses.
No one was injured in the incident.
Footage posted on social media showed the delegation scrambling for cover just inside the eastern entrance to the Jenin camp as loud shots ring out.
A video released by the Palestinian foreign ministry showed two men in Israeli army uniform pointing guns at a group of people from behind metal gates while the shots ring out.
The Israeli military said the visit had been approved, but the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area. The IDF apologised for the incident and said they will contact all of the relevant countries involved in the visit.
The delegation included diplomats from China, Japan, Mexico and several European, including France, Spain and Italy.
The firing of shots by Israeli soldiers during a visit by a diplomatic delegation sparked condemnations from several European capitals.
France will summon the Israeli ambassador in Paris for an explanation, said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome shortly after the incident.
Tajani said he had instructed his ministry to "summon the Israeli Ambassador to Rome to obtain official clarifications on what happened in Jenin" in a post on X.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on Israel to investigate the incident and hold those responsible "accountable".
"Any threats on diplomats' lives are unacceptable," Kallas told journalists in Brussels.
Spain "strongly" condemned the incident, foreign ministry sources told AFP.
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