Israeli forces fired warning shots on Wednesday as foreign diplomats and journalists visited the West Bank, the military claimed, apologising for the incident after the Palestinian Authority accused troops of ‘deliberately’ shooting at the delegation.
Footage from the scene of the incident in the West Bank city of Jenin – a frequent target of Israeli military raids – showed the delegation and accompanying journalists running for cover as shots are heard.
No injuries were reported in the incident which drew swift condemnation from Spain and Italy.
The Israeli military said in a statement that ‘the delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be.’
It said that ‘soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away’, adding that it ‘regrets the inconvenience caused’.
An AFP journalist in the heard shots echo from the area of the Jenin refugee camp.
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 shots ring out.
AFP was not immediately able to verify the video, but the journalist in Jenin said the footage appears to show the camp’s eastern entrance.
Footage from the scene of the incident in the West Bank city of Jenin – a frequent target of Israeli military raids – showed the delegation and accompanying journalists running for cover
No injuries were reported in the incident
The Israeli military, which in January launched a major operation in the Jenin area to stamp out militant groups, has recently installed metal gates as seen in the video at the entrances to the camp.
A European diplomat present during the visit told AFP he heard ‘repeated shots’ coming from inside Jenin refugee camp.
‘We were doing a visit with the governor of Jenin to the border of the camp to see the destruction’, the diplomat said.
‘It was the last part of the visit and suddenly we heard shots, coming from the camp. It was not like once or twice. It was like repeated shots. So at that moment, we just all started running back to the cars’, the diplomat added.
Spain ‘strongly’ condemned the incident, with a diplomatic source saying: ‘There was a Spaniard in the group of diplomats who is well. We are in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn.’
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, meanwhile, slammed the firing of shots on diplomats.
‘I have just spoken to Alessandro Tutino, the Deputy Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem, who is well and who was among the diplomats who were apparently shot at near the Jenin refugee camp,’ Tajani said on X.
‘We call on the government of Israel to immediately clarify what happened. Threats against diplomats are unacceptable,’ he said.
Two Irish diplomats were among the European delegation that shots were fired in the vicinity of by the IDF, Ireland’s Government said.
Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris condemned the incident ‘in the strongest terms’ and said it was ‘completely unacceptable’.
‘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,’ Mr Harris said in a statement.
‘Fortunately, no-one was hurt. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest terms.’
A European diplomat present during the visit told AFP he heard ‘repeated shots’ coming from inside Jenin refugee camp
Israel’s military said troops fired ‘warning shots’ after the diplomats deviated from an approved route during a visit to the occupied city
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned ‘the heinous crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces’
Israel’s military said troops fired ‘warning shots’ after the diplomats deviated from an approved route during a visit to the occupied city, adding that no injuries were reported and the army ‘regrets the inconvenience caused’.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned ‘the heinous crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, which deliberately targeted by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation to the State of Palestine during a field visit’.
Ahmad al-Deek, political advisor for the Palestinian foreign ministry, told AFP he was leading the delegation.
‘We condemn this reckless act by the Israeli army, especially at a time when it had given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living’, he said.
Since Israel launched its large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank, the Jenin refugee camp has emptied of its inhabitants and taken over by troops.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said that by March 31, the operation had displaced some 16,000 people in Jenin.
