On May 21, in the afternoon, Israeli soldiers opened fire on an international diplomatic delegation at the eastern entrance of Jenin refugee camp, West Bank. The incident occurred near the Jenin refugee camp, an area under a major Israeli military operation. The incident occurred during an official visit.

The occupation forces opened heavy fire from inside the Jenin refugee camp to intimidate the diplomatic delegation that is conducting a field tour around the camp to witness the extent of the suffering endured by the residents of the area.

According to the Israeli army, the diplomats had deviated from the pre-approved route and entered an active military zone. In response, soldiers fired into the air to push them back, and no injuries were reported.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot expressed serious concern, noting that the visit had been coordinated with the Israeli army and that the convoy of about twenty vehicles was clearly marked as diplomatic. He demanded credible explanations from Israel.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incident "unacceptable" and urged Israel to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible.

The delegation included diplomats from several countries, including the UK, Canada, France, China, Russia, and the European Union.

The event comes amid growing international criticism of Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza, which continue to cause civilian suffering and raise legal and human rights concerns.

• France
• Belgium
• Nerderland
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Egypt
• Jordan
• Morocco
• Austria
• Ireland
• Spain
• Portugal
• China
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Türkiye
• Lithuania
• Poland
• Russia
• Japan
• Romania
• Mexico
• Sri Lanka
• India
• Chile

Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) statement

"@IDF : Earlier today (Wednesday), a coordinated entry of a diplomatic delegation into Jenin took place. As part of the coordination, an approved route was provided to the delegation members, which they were instructed to follow due to the area being an active combat zone. According to an initial inquiry, the delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorized to be. IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away. No injuries or damages were reported. At the end of the incident, once it was clarified that the individuals were part of a diplomatic delegation, the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brigadier General Yaki Dolf, immediately reviewed the incident. In addition, the Head of the Civil Administration, Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim, instructed unit officers to immediately speak with representatives of the relevant countries, and he will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats to update them on the findings of the initial inquiry. The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused."

Statement of Roland Friedrich, the Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

*Today the Israeli Security Forces opened fire on a diplomatic delegation in the vicinity of #JeninCamp during an official visit hosted by the @pmofa. The @UNRWA colleagues who were present are safe and accounted for. This incident is a stark reminder of the lax use of excessive force routinely deployed by Israeli Security Forces in the #WestBank, often with lethal consequences. While the West Bank is not a war zone, so far this year 137 Palestinians have been killed in occupation-related violence. The IDF has said they are investigating the incident. However, claims such as “mistakenly identifying [the delegation] as a threat” and firing “warning shots” do not fully capture the severity of today's events. This raises serious concerns over the way rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians. Access to Jenin Camp has been near-impossible since the Israeli Security Forces operation ‘Iron Wall’ commenced on 21 January 2025. All #PalestineRefugees have been forcibly displaced from the camp, and @UNRWA services there have been fully suspended. Safe #HumanitarianAccess must be restored, and those displaced must be allowed to return immediately."