Yenín, West Bank – In a dramatic escalation of tensions in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA) accuses Israeli forces of opening fire to intimidate a delegation of European and Arab diplomats during an official mission to the Yenín refugee camp.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation, consisting of some 30 ambassadors and consuls, was on a fact-finding mission to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin at the time of the shooting from nearby Israeli military positions.
Images published by the PA appear to show Israeli soldiers firing from within or near a nearby military checkpoint. No injuries have been reported among the diplomats, but the incident has provoked strong international reactions and raised questions about the security of diplomatic missions in the region.
The Palestinian ministry described the incident as a “heinous crime” and accused Israel of “deliberately attacking” the official delegation. ” This was an unprovoked and reckless act against unarmed international observers,” the Ministry said in a statement, adding that the visit was fully coordinated and communicated transparently to all relevant authorities.
So far, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not issued a statement on what has happened. It is also not clear whether the diplomats were mistaken for militants or caught in a crossfire during a military operation in the volatile zone.
The Jenin refugee camp has been a focus of repeated military incursions, and the latest incident may further aggravate the already deteriorating relations between Israel and the international community, particularly in light of the growing scrutiny over Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
