Israeli soldiers fired warning shots at a group of more than 20 foreign diplomats near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, sparking condemnation from countries across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Diplomats from the EU, U.K., France, Canada, Italy, and China were on an official visit organized by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to observe the humanitarian situation in Jenin when Israeli soldiers opened fire.
According to video footage and witness accounts, the delegation was near the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp when Israeli troops fired at least seven warning shots. No injuries were reported.
Israeli forces opened fire towards an EU delegation on an approved visit to #Jenin in the #WestBank earlier today.
The IDF said they were approaching an area they weren’t allowed to be, so “warning shots” were fired AT EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS. pic.twitter.com/0Y6SHxk73N
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) May 21, 2025
The Israeli military said the visit was coordinated in advance but the group had deviated from an “approved route” and entered a restricted area.
“IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away,” the army said, adding that it regrets “the inconvenience caused” and will update the involved countries after an inquiry.
In a press release, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The ministry holds the Israeli occupying government fully and directly responsible for this criminal assault and affirms that such acts will not go unpunished.”
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas remarked: “Any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable. Even warning shots are still shots.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France will summon the Israeli ambassador in Paris to provide an explanation for the incident. In a post on X, Barrot described the incident as “unacceptable.”
Shortly after the incident, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also announced on X that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome for clarification.
Turkey’s foreign ministry called the incident “another demonstration of Israel’s disregard for international law.”
Roland Friedrich, Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, wrote on X that the incident serves as a “stark reminder of the frequent use of excessive force by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank.”
Today the Israeli Security Forces opened fire on a diplomatic delegation in the vicinity of #JeninCamp during an official visit hosted by the @pmofa. The @UNRWA colleagues who were present are safe and accounted for.
This incident is a stark reminder of the lax use of… pic.twitter.com/mOGoYZYPDT
— Roland Friedrich (@GRFriedrich) May 21, 2025
