WEST BANK (Palestine Foundation Information Center)Italy, France, Spain, and Belgium have all summoned Israeli diplomats in protest after Israeli forces opened fire on a delegation of European and Arab diplomats visiting the area near Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank earlier today. No injuries were reported, but the incident sparked strong condemnation.
Italy
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Wednesday that he instructed the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador to Rome for an official explanation. Tajani described the warning shots fired by the Israeli army as “unacceptable threats” and said they targeted diplomats visiting the West Bank.
He confirmed that Italian Deputy Consul Alessandro Totino, who was part of the delegation, is safe and well.
France
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said he would summon the Israeli ambassador to Paris for clarification. “A visit to Jenin involving one of our diplomats came under fire by Israeli soldiers. This is unacceptable,” Barrot wrote on X, expressing full support for the French team on the ground and commending their work under difficult circumstances.
Spain
Spain’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid shortly after strongly condemning the incident. According to a statement cited by AFP, a Spanish diplomat was among the delegation and is safe. The ministry said it is coordinating with other concerned nations to issue a joint response.
Belgium
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot demanded “credible explanations” from Israel after what he described as warning shots aimed at “twenty diplomats” in the occupied West Bank, including one Belgian national. He stated on X that the visit had been coordinated in advance with the Israeli army and involved a convoy of clearly marked diplomatic vehicles.
Background
The diplomatic visit, organized by the Palestinian Authority, was aimed at assessing the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israeli military’s opening of fire — even as warning shots — on an officially coordinated diplomatic mission has been widely condemned as a dangerous escalation and a breach of international norms protecting diplomatic personnel.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, as military operations by Israeli forces continue to intensify, drawing growing international scrutiny.
