Diplomatic Delegation Comes Under Fire in West Bank

A disturbing incident unfolded in the West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday, as a group of foreign diplomats, including representatives from Spain and Italy, were fired upon by Israeli forces.

The delegation, which included Ahmad al-Deek, political advisor for the Palestinian foreign ministry, was on a field visit to the area when the shots rang out.

Eyewitnesses, including an AFP journalist, reported hearing repeated shots and seeing the delegation and accompanying journalists scramble for cover.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident, which has sparked widespread condemnation.

The Israeli military has since apologized for the incident, stating that the delegation had deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorized to be.

According to the military, soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance the delegation from the restricted zone.

However, the Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned the incident, accusing Israeli troops of “deliberately” targeting the diplomatic delegation. The Palestinian foreign ministry described the incident as a “heinous crime” and expressed outrage at the Israeli military’s actions.

A European diplomat who was present during the visit told AFP that the group was on a tour of the Jenin refugee camp, which has been the site of recent Israeli military operations, when the shots were fired.

“We were doing a visit with the governor of Jenin to the border of the camp to see the destruction. It was the last part of the visit, and suddenly we heard shots coming from the camp. It was not like once or twice. It was like repeated shots. So at that moment, we just all started running back to the cars,” the diplomat said.

The incident has drawn prompt condemnation from Spain and Italy, and has raised concerns about the safety of diplomatic personnel operating in the region.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has reported that the Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank has displaced some 16,000 people in Jenin, with the refugee camp being largely emptied of its inhabitants.

Ahmad al-Deek, who was leading the delegation, described the incident as a “reckless act” by the Israeli army, adding, “We condemn this reckless act by the Israeli army, especially at a time when it had given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living,” he said.