A delegation of diplomats visiting the West Bank were fired at with warning shots by the Israeli military on Wednesday.
The Israeli military said the delegation had “deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be,” and that soldiers fired “warning shots to distance them away.” There were about 25 members in the delegation representing 31 countries.
مشاهد خاصة للحظة إطلاق جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي الرصاص على وفد دبلوماسي يضم 30 سفيرا وقنصلا أوروبيا وعربيا في #جنين pic.twitter.com/LHlsMykpmN
— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) May 21, 2025
Footage shows the diplomats speaking with the press before gunfire forces them to run for cover.
The UK and France led a number of European countries that summoned Israeli ambassadors to protest the IDF’s actions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X, “A visit to Jenin, in which one of our diplomats was participating, was fired upon by Israeli soldiers. This is unacceptable. The Israeli ambassador will be summoned to explain.”
The delegation’s trip to the West Bank comes as Tel Aviv is moving forward with a series of laws and decrees that will give Israel sovereignty over half of the region. The West Bank was key to a two-state solution.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is set to hold significant authority over the West Bank under the new regime. His plan for the West Bank, as he previously put it, includes giving the Palestinians the choice between subjugation, emigration, and death. Smotrich has repeatedly advocated for lethal force to be used against Palestinian children.
