The Israeli military fired warning shots at a large delegation of European and Arab diplomats on an official visit to the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, drawing swift condemnation.
Delegations from more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and others, were on an official mission to see the humanitarian situation in the besieged camp, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the incident a “deliberate and unlawful act.”
Video from the incident shows Israeli soldiers firing toward the delegation as it backs away from a gate blocking the road. At least four shots can be heard in the video. One member of the delegation cautions the group, “Be close to the wall, be close to the wall,” as they walk away from the scene.
“The Ministry holds the Israeli occupying government fully and directly responsible for this criminal assault and affirms that such acts will not pass without accountability,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the visit to the camp – the site of a major ongoing military operation that has destroyed more than 100 buildings and impacted thousands of families – was coordinated in advance. The military launched an initial investigation once it became clear that the group was a diplomatic delegation.
“The delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorized to be,” the military said in a statement Wednesday.
“IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away.”
The IDF said it will reach out to the delegations about the findings of the initial inquiry and “regrets the inconvenience caused.”
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said after the incident that “any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable.”
“We definitely call on Israel to investigate this incident and also hold those accountable who are responsible for this,” Kallas said at a press conference Wednesday.
Italy’s foreign ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome for an official clarification. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called on Israel to “immediately clarify what happened” following a phone call with the Italian vice consul to Jerusalem, Alessandro Tutino, who was part of the delegation in Jenin.
“The threats against diplomats are unacceptable,” Tajani added in a social media post on X.