Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure

Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure

This picture taken from a position in southern Israel shows destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip

Israeli troops fired "warning shots" during a visit by foreign diplomats to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the military said, drawing condemnation as pressure mounted on Israel to allow aid into war-battered Gaza.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Israel to hold to account those responsible for the shooting near 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". A European diplomat said the group had gone to the area "to see the destruction" caused by months of Israeli operations.

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".

It said it "regrets the inconvenience caused" by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries.

The incident came as international pressure intensified over the war in Gaza, where Palestinians were desperate for supplies after a two-month aid blockade was eased.

Rescue teams in the Palestinian territory said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including a week-old baby.

- 'Unbearable' -

Israel said 93 trucks had entered Gaza on Tuesday but faced accusations the amount fell far short of what was required. The United Nations said the aid had been held up.

The world body on Monday said it had been cleared to send in aid for the first time since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2 in a move leading to critical shortages of food and medicine.

Umm Talal al-Masri, 53, a displaced Palestinian living in an area of Gaza City, described the situation as "unbearable". 

"No one is distributing anything to us. Everyone is waiting for aid, but we haven't received anything," she told AFP.

"We're grinding lentils and pasta to make some loaves of bread, and we barely manage to prepare one meal a day."

The Israeli army stepped up its offensive at the weekend, vowing to defeat Gaza's Hamas rulers, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.

Israel has faced massive pressure, including from traditional allies, to halt its intensified offensive and allow aid into Gaza.

Kallas said on Tuesday that "a strong majority" of foreign ministers from the 27-nation European Union backed the move to review its trade cooperation with Israel.

"The countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable... and what we want is to unblock the humanitarian aid," she said.

Sweden said it would press the EU to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador.

Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as "worrying and painful" and called for "the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid".

Israel's foreign ministry has said the EU action "reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing".

Germany on Wednesday defended a key EU-Israel cooperation deal as "an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions" over the situation in Gaza.

- 'Reckless act' -

After the warning shots were fired at diplomats, Belgium demanded a "convincing explanation" from Israel, while Spain said it was "in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn".

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome and said that "threats against diplomats are unacceptable".

France also said it would summon Israel's ambassador, and Germany said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul would also raise the "unprovoked shooting" with his Israeli counterpart.

Egypt said the incident "violates all diplomatic norms".

Ahmad al-Deek, political adviser for the Palestinian foreign ministry who accompanied the delegation, condemned "this reckless act by the Israeli army".

"It had given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living," he said.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the delegation included diplomats from more than 20 countries including Britain, China, Egypt, France, Jordan, Turkey and Russia.

In Gaza, Israel resumed its operations across the territory on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.

Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.

Gaza's health ministry said Tuesday at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,655.

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Originally published as Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure