Israeli troops fire 'warning shots' near diplomats during West Bank visit

Israeli troops fired “warning shots” near a group of 25 diplomats visiting Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The visit was part of an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to assess the humanitarian situation.

The Israeli military said the visit was approved but the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area.

Video footage of the incident, captured while several diplomats were giving media interviews, shows sudden gunfire breaking out nearby, forcing them to take cover. The delegation included ambassadors and diplomats from 31 countries, including Italy, Canada, Egypt, Jordan, and the UK.

The Israeli military (IDF) said it regretted “the inconvenience caused” and added that senior officials would brief the diplomats once their internal investigation is complete.

Jenin had also made headlines earlier this year when a major Israeli assault in January forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee, marking one of the largest displacements in the West Bank in recent years.

No Indian diplomat part of delegation

However, no Indian diplomats were part of the delegation caught in the ‘warning shots’, an Indian official told news agency PTI.

Outrage across the world

A European diplomat said the diplomats went to the area to see the destruction caused by Israeli military raids since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

The Israeli military said the diplomatic convoy strayed from the approved route and entered a restricted zone.

Troops fired “warning shots” to steer the group away, it said, adding that no one was injured and expressing regret for the “inconvenience caused”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman called the incident “unacceptable”.

“Diplomats who are doing their work should never be shot at, attacked in any way, shape or form. Their safety, their viability, must be respected at all times,” the spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters.

“These diplomats, including UN personnel, were fired at, warning shots or whatever… which is unacceptable.”

Countries condemn shooting

Several countries that had representatives in the group voiced outrage and demanded an investigation.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Israel to hold those responsible “accountable”.

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay summoned Israel’s ambassadors or said they would raise the issue directly.

Egypt denounced the shooting as a breach of “all diplomatic norms”, while Turkey demanded an immediate investigation.