Diplomats under fire: Italy summons Israeli ambassador
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Italy summoned Israel's ambassador after its diplomats came under fire during a visit to the West Bank city of Jenin.
On X, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani affirmed he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to request official clarification from the ambassador in Rome about the incident, stressing that 'threats against diplomats are unacceptable.'
Ho appena dato disposizione al Segretario generale del Ministero degli Esteri di convocare l'Ambasciatore di Israele a Roma per avere chiarimenti ufficiali su quanto accaduto a Jenin.
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) May 21, 2025
The diplomats, including Italy's Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem, Alessandro Tutino, had been touring the Jenin refugee camp, an area frequently targeted in Israeli military raids.
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… pic.twitter.com/mOGoYZYPDT
— Roland Friedrich (@GRFriedrich) May 21, 2025
The Israeli army claimed its forces fired warning shots after the group allegedly strayed from an approved route. While no injuries were reported, the military expressed regret over what it described as an 'inconvenience.'
The incident triggered condemnation across Europe. The EU's Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, denounced the shooting, calling on Israel to investigate and hold those responsible 'accountable'.
while Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot emphasized that the visit had been coordinated with the Israeli military and involved a convoy of 20 clearly marked vehicles.
(FR/NL) Choqué d'apprendre que l'armée israélienne a ouvert le feu aujourd'hui en direction d'une vingtaine de diplomates, dont un collègue belge. Il va bien, heureusement. Ces diplomates effectuaient une visite officielle à Jenin, qui avait pourtant été coordonnée avec l'armée…
— Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) May 21, 2025
Moreover, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, Andreas Kravik, told Al-Jazeera that diplomats must be protected, emphasizing that Israel is expected to honor their international immunity.
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