Jerusalem [Israel], May 22: A diplomatic delegation from the European Union, Arab and Asian nations has come under Israeli fire while visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and numerous countries confirm.
The diplomats were undertaking an official mission on Wednesday to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin as a wide-scale Israeli military assault there, which has caused deaths and displacement, enters its fourth month.
The Israeli army said its soldiers fired warning shots to move the delegation away because it had deviated from a previously agreed route and entered an area it was not authorised to be in. There were no injuries. The commander of the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank ordered Israeli officers to speak with representatives of the delegation's countries, "and will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats and update them on the findings of the initial investigation conducted on the matter", the military said in a statement.
Al Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, because Al Jazeera has been banned from the West Bank and Israel, said the incident shows the reality on the ground and anyone in the occupied West Bank can come under Israeli fire.
"These places in the Palestinian territory have come under complete siege - tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been forcibly uprooted from their homes as part of the ongoing military raids in Jenin, Tulkarem and in surrounding areas in the north of the occupied West Bank," she added.
Videos on social media show delegation members giving media interviews when shots are heard ringing out close to the group and forcing it to run for cover. Footage verified by Al Jazeera's Sanad fact-checking agency also showed two Israeli soldiers standing nearby with their rifles pointing towards the diplomats.
About 20 diplomats were being briefed at the time about the situation in Jenin, an aid worker speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press news agency. Witnesses said it was unclear where the shots came from and no one was injured.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned in "the strongest possible terms the heinous crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, which deliberately targeted by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation".
Other European and Arab governments added their own condemnations with calls for answers. Turkiye's foreign ministry condemned the firing "in the strongest terms" and said Ankara was calling for an immediate investigation and for accountability.
"This attack, which endangered the lives of diplomats, is yet another demonstration of Israel's systematic disregard for international law and human rights," the ministry said in a statement, adding a diplomat from its own consulate in Jerusalem was among the delegation. France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that he would summon the Israeli ambassador. Barrot, writing on X, called the incident "unacceptable" and said the ambassador would be required to explain.
Simon Harris, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, said, "I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit to Jenin today by a group of diplomats, including two Irish diplomats based in Ramallah. Fortunately, no-one was hurt. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest terms." The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation demanded "an immediate and transparent" investigation into the incident.
Ireland and Spain have been two of the strongest pro-Palestine voices in the EU, calling for an end to the Israeli war in Gaza and the suffering of the population in the enclave and in the West Bank. The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demanded an explanation, saying its vice consul was among those who came under fire. Israel's ambassador to Italy will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to explain.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said firing even warning shots was unacceptable. Jenin - along with Tulkarem and Nur Shams - has been the main focus of a large-scale Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank since January.
Source: Qatar Tribune
