The EU foreign policy chief has called on Israel to investigate after IDF troops fired what the Israeli military said were “warning shots” near a delegation of foreign diplomats in the West Bank on Wednesday.
“I’ve heard about the incident in Jenin today where Israel Defence Forces shot warning shots but still shots at a group of diplomats approaching the refugee camp within a visit organised by the Palestinian Authority,” Kaja Kallas said.
“Any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable. So as Israel is also a signatory to the Vienna Convention, I mean the obligation to guarantee the security of all foreign diplomats, I think this is important.”
A group of regional, European and Western diplomats was standing near the entrance of the Jenin refugee camp on an official mission to observe the humanitarian situation when they heard gunshots just before 2 pm.
However, it was unclear where the shots came from, an unnamed aid worker said. No one was injured, she added.
The Israeli military said in a statement that while the visit had been approved, the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area.
The military apologised for the incident and said they would contact all of the relevant countries involved in the visit.
“The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused,” the IDF said, adding that a commander was already reviewing the incident.
Footage showed a number of diplomats giving media interviews as rapid shots rang out close to the group, forcing them to run for cover.
Jenin has been the site of Israel’s widespread action against West Bank militants since earlier this year.
The fighting there has displaced tens of thousands of residents, one of the largest West Bank displacements in years.
The delegation included representatives from several countries including Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, the UK, Canada, Jordan and Egypt, domestic outlets reported.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X on Wednesday that he has asked his ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador to Rome for “official clarifications” regarding the incident.
Tajani’s Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel “conveyed all solidarity to the Portuguese ambassador who was part of the delegation,” the Portuguese foreign ministry also said on X, adding that it will “take appropriate diplomatic measures”.
The incident occurred just one day after Kallas announced the EU would review the bloc’s wide-ranging trade and cooperation pact with Israel over its intensified offensive on Hamas in Gaza.
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