Israeli diplomat defends army after soldiers fired warning shots near diplomats visiting Jenin
PARIS (AP) — A senior Israeli diplomat on Thursday defended his country's military after soldiers fired warning shots near a delegation of European diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, an incident France condemned as 'unacceptable' and prompted it to summon Israel's ambassador.
'There was no actual danger,' Assaf Moran, deputy chief of mission of the Israeli embassy in France, said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'It also was proven by the debriefing that the soldiers only shot a warning in the air in order for the delegation to step away, but there was not actual danger to the diplomats on the ground.'
The diplomats, including at least one representative from France, came under fire Wednesday while visiting Jenin, a Palestinian city that has seen repeated Israeli military raids. The Israeli army said the visit had been authorized, but that soldiers opened fire when the delegation reportedly deviated from an agreed-upon route. No injuries were reported.
France responded by summoning Israel's ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Paris.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said the diplomats 'came under fire' and described the incident as 'unjustifiable and unacceptable.' He added that Israel's ambassador was being summoned 'to explain himself about this extremely serious incident.'
The confrontation underscores the growing tensions between Israel and Europe and comes amid rising concern for the safety of diplomats and Jewish communities abroad.
On Thursday, the French government issued separate orders to reinforce security around Jewish sites following the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called for a stepped-up presence of police and military personnel at synagogues, Jewish schools, cultural centers, and businesses across the country.
Though French authorities did not link the Jenin incident with the attack in D.C., the timing of both episodes added to diplomatic unease and triggered heightened vigilance across multiple sectors.
Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, has been the site of intensified Israeli operations targeting armed Palestinian groups. Israeli forces say these raids aim to dismantle militant infrastructure, but Palestinian officials and human rights groups accuse the army of disproportionate use of force and collective punishment.
European diplomats frequently visit volatile areas like Jenin to monitor conditions on the ground, meet with local leaders, and assess humanitarian needs. Wednesday's incident has raised new concerns about the safety of such missions — even when they are coordinated in advance.
Israel insists the delegation was not targeted.
___
AP writer John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed.
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