Israeli troops fired warning shots during foreign diplomats’ visit to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the military said, drawing condemnation as pressure mounted on Israel to allow aid into war-battered Gaza.
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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Israel to hold accountable those responsible for the shooting near the city of Jenin, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups and a frequent target of Israeli raids.
The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israel of having “deliberately targeted by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation”.
The Israeli military said “the delegation deviated from the approved route”, prompting troops to fire “warning shots” to keep them away from “an area where they were not authorised to be”.
In a statement, the military said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries.
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The incident came as international pressure mounted on Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians waited desperately for vital supplies after the easing of a two-month total aid blockade.