Cnn
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The Israeli army shot warning shots during a large delegation of European and Arab diplomats during an official visit near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied Wednesday, causing a rapid international conviction.
The delegations of more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and others, were on an official mission to see the humanitarian situation around the besieged camp, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, which described the incident a “deliberate and illegal act”.
The video of the incident shows Israeli soldiers pulling towards the delegation as it retreats from a door blocking the road. At least seven strokes can be heard in the video. A member of the delegation warns the group, “be close to the wall, be close to the wall”, while they move away from the scene.
“The ministry holds the Israelis occupying the government fully and directly responsible for this criminal assault and says that such acts will not pass without responsibility,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority said in a statement.
The Israeli Defense Forces (FDI) said that the visit to the camp – the site of a major military operation which had destroyed more than 100 buildings and assigned thousands of families – was coordinated in advance. The army said it launched an initial investigation once it has become clear that the group was a diplomatic delegation.
“The delegation has moved away from the approved route and entered an area where they were not allowed to be,” the army said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The TSAhal soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to keep them away.”
The FDI said that it would contact delegations concerning the conclusions of the initial investigation and “regrets the drawbacks caused”.
The Palestinian authority said that the visit had been announced 10 days in advance and that the group had been at the door for more than 15 minutes before Israeli soldiers started to shoot.
Roland Friedrich, director of the United Nations Support and Works Agency in the West Bank, refuted the version of the events of the Israeli army, claiming that his explanations “do not fully capture the gravity of today’s event”.
“This incident is a brutal reminder of the lax use of excessive force systematically deployed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, often with fatal consequences,” said Friedrich. “This raises serious concerns about how the rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians.”
Kaja Kallas, the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, said after the incident that “any threat to the life of diplomats was unacceptable”.
“We are certainly calling on Israel to investigate this incident and to hold those responsible for it,” Kallas said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Israel Ambassador to Rome for official clarification.
“The threats against diplomats are unacceptable,” added the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country Antonio Tajani in an article on social networks on X.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, said that the Israel Ambassador to France would also be summoned following the incident, the appellant “unacceptable”, while the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, said that his government convened the Israeli employment chief in Madrid.
A crowd of officials of other European nations condemned the shooting, including representatives of Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Finland.
Foreign ministries in countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Turkey have also strongly condemned the incident.
“This attack, which has endangered the life of diplomats, is another demonstration of Israel’s systematic contempt for international law and human rights,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The targeting of diplomats constitutes a serious threat not only for individual security, but also mutual respect and confidence which constitute the basis of inter-state relations. This attack must be studied without delay, and those responsible must be held responsible,” he added.
Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the shooting incident occurred near Jenin’s refugee camp, not in the camp.
