Israel fires on Canadian and European diplomats, then apologizes for “inconvenience caused”
Tensions escalate in West Bank after Israeli army targets visiting foreign delegation, citing “warning shots”.
Israeli troops fire ‘warning shots’ at 25 diplomats visiting occupied West Bank
Israel claims that the delegation had left the originally planned itinerary, justifying the military intervention.
The incident took place during an official mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the city of Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It involved several ambassadors and diplomats from countries such as Canada, the UK, France, Turkey, Ireland and Italy.
The Israeli army expressed its regret for “the inconvenience caused”, when ambassadors and diplomats should have taken cover under fire.
According to The Guardian, it has also clarified that those involved in the incident will receive the findings of its internal investigation into the incident.
The scene was captured on video: diplomats can be seen running for cover in a nearby street, as brief bursts of gunfire ring out repeatedly. A voice in the recording claims that Israeli soldiers are firing in the direction of the delegation.
A number of foreign officials demanded explanations for this unacceptable incident. European leaders, notably in France, summoned Israeli ambassadors to their capitals to seek clarification on the circumstances of the event.