France announced Wednesday it would summon Israel’s ambassador after Israeli forces fired warning shots at a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank. The incident, which occurred near the volatile city of Jenin, has drawn fierce condemnation from several governments and international institutions, including the European Union, Egypt, and the United Nations.
The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, labeled the shooting “unacceptable,” stating that the French envoy in Tel Aviv would be summoned to provide a full explanation. “One of our diplomats was present during the visit,” Barrot confirmed. “This act is completely unjustifiable and contrary to all diplomatic norms.”
France is not alone in its indignation. Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Egypt have all issued strong statements rebuking the Israeli army’s actions, with some governments summoning Israeli envoys or coordinating joint responses.
The Egyptian foreign ministry condemned the shooting “in the strongest terms,” emphasizing that the delegation included Egypt’s ambassador to Ramallah. “This is a flagrant violation of diplomatic protocol,” the ministry said in a statement, demanding “a clear and immediate explanation” from Israeli authorities.
According to multiple diplomatic and military sources, the delegation—comprising representatives from several EU countries and Arab states—was on a fact-finding mission to observe damage in the Jenin refugee camp. The area has been under sustained Israeli military operations for months, which have left much of the camp in ruins.
A European diplomat present at the scene said the group had come “to see the destruction” caused by repeated raids, which Israel claims are aimed at rooting out militant infrastructure.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued a brief statement asserting that the delegation had “deviated from the approved route,” entering a zone deemed unauthorized due to “security operations in progress.” The army claimed warning shots were fired “to prevent the delegation from entering a dangerous area” and said it regretted “any inconvenience caused.”
No injuries were reported, but diplomats and observers have questioned the proportionality and necessity of opening fire in the vicinity of clearly identified diplomatic personnel.
Ahmad al-Deek, a senior adviser to the Palestinian foreign ministry who led the tour, denounced the shooting as a deliberate and reckless provocation. “The Israeli army knew exactly who we were and what we were doing,” al-Deek said. “They chose to use live fire as a show of force. This is part of a broader pattern of harassment and intimidation.”
Witnesses say the shots were fired from within the perimeter of the Jenin refugee camp, long a symbol of Palestinian resistance and one of the focal points of Israeli counterinsurgency raids. One diplomat recalled hearing “repeated, sharp bursts of gunfire,” describing the moment as “tense and surreal.”
Palestinian officials have accused Israel of using violence to deter international scrutiny of its actions in the West Bank and Gaza. “They don’t want the world to see the consequences of their occupation,” said al-Deek.
The shooting incident comes at a time when international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank has reached a boiling point.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas demanded Israel hold those responsible for the shooting accountable. “This is a grave incident. Diplomats must be able to carry out their work without being threatened,” she said. Kallas also indicated that a majority of the 27 EU member states now support a review of the bloc’s trade agreement with Israel, citing the “untenable” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Sweden has gone a step further, calling for EU-wide sanctions against individual Israeli officials. Meanwhile, the UK has suspended trade talks with Israel and summoned its ambassador in London for explanations.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed the widespread dismay, saying “threats against diplomats are unacceptable” and demanding Israel “take responsibility for this unacceptable breach of conduct.”
While the diplomatic fallout plays out in global capitals, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens. The territory, already ravaged by nearly eight months of war, is facing critical shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
On Tuesday, 93 aid trucks were permitted into Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. But humanitarian agencies argue that this is far from sufficient. The United Nations said many of the trucks were delayed or rerouted due to Israeli-imposed restrictions and security delays.
Umm Talal al-Masri, a 53-year-old displaced woman sheltering in Gaza City, painted a grim picture of daily life. “We haven’t seen any aid. We grind lentils and pasta to bake flatbread. One meal a day is all we can manage,” she said.
The war resumed in full force on March 18, after a short-lived ceasefire collapsed. Since then, Israeli airstrikes have intensified, with at least 3,509 Palestinians killed in just the last two months, according to Gaza’s health ministry. That brings the total death toll since October 2023 to more than 53,000.
Among the dead are thousands of women and children, including at least 19 people killed overnight Tuesday—one of whom was reportedly a week-old infant.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise assault on Israeli territory, killing 1,218 people and taking 251 hostages. The Israeli response has been swift and unrelenting, aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities.
However, critics say Israel’s strategy has led to mass civilian casualties and an ever-deepening humanitarian crisis without significantly weakening Hamas’s command structure. According to the Israeli military, 57 hostages remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are believed to be dead.
Despite international pressure, Israeli leaders have maintained that their objective is the complete destruction of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated, “There will be no peace for Israelis until Hamas is eradicated.”
The incident involving foreign diplomats may mark a turning point in Israel’s relationship with key Western allies. While countries like Germany have historically defended Israeli interests within the EU, even Berlin has signaled unease over recent developments.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the EU-Israel Association Council—one of the primary diplomatic frameworks between the two—should be used “to raise critical questions.” But she stopped short of endorsing punitive measures.
Israel, for its part, accuses the international community of ignoring the security challenges it faces. The foreign ministry responded to EU criticism by saying it “reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing in both Gaza and the West Bank.”
Still, as images of devastated neighborhoods and starving civilians continue to circulate, public opinion across Europe has shifted. In several countries, public demonstrations have demanded a cessation of hostilities and a reevaluation of political and economic ties with Israel.
Pope Leo XIV added his voice to the growing chorus, calling the situation in Gaza “worrying and painful” and urging for “the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to all civilians.”
The diplomatic shot fired—both literally and figuratively—near Jenin has opened a new front in the Israel-Palestine crisis. What was once largely a humanitarian emergency is now rapidly evolving into a geopolitical standoff.
Foreign ministers across Europe are meeting this week to coordinate their next steps. Spain and Belgium are reportedly leading discussions to issue a joint resolution in the UN General Assembly, calling for diplomatic protections to be upheld in conflict zones and condemning the targeting of foreign officials.
Meanwhile, Israel’s domestic politics remain in flux. The far-right coalition government faces growing scrutiny over its handling of the war, as well as increasing dissent from within the Israeli public.
For the Palestinians, the stakes remain existential. With Gaza reduced to rubble and much of the West Bank under de facto military control, the diplomatic front has become one of the few remaining arenas for resistance.
“The international community must act,” said al-Deek. “If even diplomats are being shot at, then who is safe in this land?”
