European reactions continued to condemn the Israeli occupation forces' shooting of a delegation of European diplomats in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Wednesday. Italy and France decided to recall their Israeli ambassadors.
Israeli occupation forces opened fire directly at European and Arab diplomats during a visit called by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry to assess the situation in the Jenin refugee camp, which has been under Israeli attack for months.
Sources told Al Jazeera that two Israeli soldiers advanced toward the delegation, which included 25 Arab and European ambassadors and consuls, as well as representatives from the European Union and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and opened direct fire upon the diplomats' arrival in the vicinity of Jenin camp, leading to the immediate termination of the visit and their withdrawal from the area.
The Israeli military claimed that the diplomatic delegation "deviated from its route" and entered a restricted area in the camp.
The Israeli army said in a statement that soldiers in the area fired warning shots, adding that it "regrets the inconvenience caused by the incident," noting that the shooting resulted in no injuries.
Last January, the occupation army launched a military operation in the Jenin camp as part of a broader offensive on cities and camps in the northern West Bank.
To date, the attack on Jenin camp has resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, the displacement of 22,000, and the destruction of 600 homes.
Condemnations and diplomatic protest
In response, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome to obtain official clarifications regarding the events in Jenin.
The Italian Foreign Ministry called on the Israeli government to clarify what happened, stressing that threatening diplomats is unacceptable.
France also described the incident as unacceptable and decided to recall the Israeli ambassador, noting that French citizens were among the members of the delegation that visited the Jenin camp.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas condemned Israel's shooting at the European diplomatic delegation in Jenin.
Maxime Prevost, Belgium's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, told Al Jazeera he was shocked by Israel's shooting of diplomats.
Brivo added that the diplomats' visit to Jenin was coordinated with the Israeli military and that they traveled in a convoy of 20 identifiable vehicles.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris also expressed his shock at the targeting of diplomats, including two Irish nationals.
In the same context, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik told Al Jazeera that diplomats must be protected, adding that his country expects Israel to respect their international immunity.
In response, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that the occupation's shooting at 25 ambassadors and diplomats in the Jenin camp was a clear violation of all international norms and conventions.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the targeting of the diplomatic delegation, describing it as an act of aggression and a serious violation of international law.
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European condemnation of Israel's shooting of diplomats in Jenin