By May Angel
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -European countries on Thursday condemned an incident where Israeli soldiers fired near a diplomatic delegation in the occupied West Bank, with Italy and France both summoning Israeli ambassadors to explain what happened.
The Israeli military said the delegation had “deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be” and that soldiers fired “warning shots to distance them away.” No injuries or damage were reported.
Footage on Israeli television showed individuals running to vehicles with diplomatic license plates as shots were heard in the distance.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, in a post on social media platform X, called the incident “unacceptable,” while Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Israel’s ambassador to Italy would have to explain its actions.
The foreign ministry of Germany, a stalwart Israel ally, condemned what it called “unprovoked firing.” It said the delegation to the West Bank city of Jenin was officially registered and was conducting diplomatic activities in coordination with both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Army.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called for an official probe.
“We call on Israel to investigate this incident and also hold those accountable who are responsible for any threats to diplomats’ lives,” she said.
The incident came amid mounting international pressure on Israel to halt its war in Gaza and allow deliveries of aid to reach a population that United Nations experts say is on the brink of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade.
Kallas on Tuesday asked for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, underscoring Israel’s increasing international isolation over its conduct in the 20-month-long Gaza war.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said the firing of gunshots on diplomats, including from Turkey, was “yet another demonstration of Israel’s systematic disregard for international law and human rights”.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry said a Spaniard was among the group of diplomats.
“We are in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn,” it said in a statement.
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry said “the delegation was undertaking an official mission to observe and assess the humanitarian situation and document the ongoing violations perpetrated by” Israel. The ministry called the Israeli military’s actions a violation of international law.
The Israeli military has killed dozens of Palestinians and destroyed many homes in the West Bank since January, when it launched an operation in Jenin to root out militants.
(Reporting by May Angel, Emily Rose and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem, Ali Sawafta in RamallahEditing by Ros Russell and Tomasz Janowski)
