Israeli ‘warning’ fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure

JENIN, (Palestinian Territories): Israeli troops fired warning shots during foreign diplomats’ visit 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 accountable those responsible for the shooting near the city of 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”.

The Israeli military said “the delegation deviated from the approved route”, prompting troops to fire “warning shoots” to keep them away from “an area where they were not authorised to be”.

In a statement, the military said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries.

The incident came as international pressure mounted on Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians waited desperately for vital supplies after the easing of a two-month total aid blockade.

Rescuers in the Palestinian territory, where Israel has recently intensified its devastating offensive, said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including a week-old baby.

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.