Jenin, West Bank — Several nations that have backed Israel during its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip voiced outrage Wednesday after Israeli troops fired what they called “warning shots” as foreign diplomats visited the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority, which partially administers the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, accused Israeli troops of “deliberately” shooting at the delegation near the flashpoint city of Jenin. The Israeli military, already under pressure over its tactics in the Gaza war, said it regretted the “inconvenience.”
AFP video from Jenin — a frequent target of Israeli military raids — showed the delegation and accompanying journalists running for cover as shots were heard on Wednesday.
MOHAMMAD ATEEQ/AFPTV/AFP/Getty
A European diplomat said the envoys went to the area to see the destruction caused in the West Bank by Israeli military raids during the Gaza war, which was sparked by the Hamas-led, Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack.
The Israel Defense Forces said the diplomatic convoy had strayed from the approved route and entered a restricted zone, prompting troops to fire “warning shots” to steer the group away. The IDF added that no one was wounded and it expressed regret for the “inconvenience caused.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ 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,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. “These diplomats, including U.N. personnel, were fired at, warning shots or whatever… which is unacceptable.”
Demands for explanation over Israel’s “unacceptable” actions
Several countries that had representatives in the group voiced outrage and demanded an investigation.
“We call on Israel to investigate this incident and also hold those accountable who are responsible for any threats to diplomats’ lives,” said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay summoned Israel’s ambassadors or said they would raise the issue directly.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident “totally unacceptable” and pressed for an “immediate explanation.”
Carney added that Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand has summoned Israel’s ambassador to Ottawa.
MOHAMMAD MANSOUR/AFP/Getty 
Egypt denounced the shooting as a breach of “all diplomatic norms,” while Turkey demanded an immediate investigation.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said: “This attack must be investigated without delay and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”
Ahmad al-Deek, political adviser for the Palestinian foreign ministry who accompanied the delegation, condemned what he called a “reckless act by the Israeli army.”
“It has given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living,” he said.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the delegation included diplomats from more than 20 countries including Britain, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Turkey and Russia.
Britain’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, said Wednesday that he’d spoken directly with U.K. diplomats affected by the incident, and he called for an investigation.
“Today’s events in Jenin are unacceptable. I have spoken to our diplomats who were affected,” he said in a social media post. “Civilians must always be protected, and diplomats allowed to do their jobs. There must be a full investigation and those responsible should be held accountable.”
“The Japanese government has protested to the Israeli side and requested an explanation and the prevention of a recurrence,” government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said in Tokyo, confirming that diplomatic staff from the country had taken part in the delegation.
Israel-Europe ties increasingly strained over Gaza, D.C. murders
The incident came as anger mounted over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are scrambling for basic supplies after weeks of near-total isolation. A two-month Israeli aid blockade on Gaza was partially eased this week, but not enough to alleviate the hunger crisis facing the enclave’s roughly 2 million inhabitants, according to the U.N. and humanitarian agencies.
Israel stepped up its military offensive over the weekend, vowing to defeat Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
Israel has faced massive pressure, including from its allies, to halt its intensified offensive and allow aid into Gaza. European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday ordered a review of the EU cooperation accord with Israel.
Sweden said it would press the EU to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador.
Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as “worrying and painful” and called for “the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid.”
Mahmoud ssa/Anadolu/Getty 
Israel’s ties with Europe were tested further on Thursday as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar blamed what he called antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement “by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe,” for the murder of two Israel Embassy staff members in Washington D.C. the previous night.
A suspect identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was taken into custody, and heard shouting, “Free, free Palestine” as he was led away, after the attack outside the Jewish Museum in the U.S. capital.
Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel ended a ceasefire and resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,655.