Israeli army opens fire to intimidate foreign diplomatic delegation in West Bank: Palestinian official

By Qais Abu Samra and Mohammad Sio

RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli forces opened fire to intimidate a foreign diplomatic delegation upon its arrival at an entrance to the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official told Anadolu on Wednesday.

The Israeli military, in a breach of diplomatic norms, opened fire as the delegation of 35 ambassadors, consuls, and diplomats approached the camp, which has been under siege since Jan. 21, said Ahmed al-Deek, an assistant to the Palestinian foreign minister.

Deek, accompanying the group, said the shooting aimed to frighten the delegation and prevent their entry into the camp.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, the delegation had diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the EU, Portugal, China, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Japan, Romania, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Canada, India, Chile, France, and the UK, along with representatives from several other countries.

Deek condemned the Israeli actions, calling for an end to the ongoing assaults against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and for Israel to be held accountable.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry organized the visit for diplomats to witness Israel’s ongoing military assault, following a similar visit to Tulkarem in the northern West Bank last week.