Israeli troops fire ‘warning' shots near EU diplomats, sparking outcry amid Gaza pressure
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 shots' 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump ‘less confident' on Iran nuclear deal as Tehran warns US bases within reach
Iran threatened on Wednesday to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out, while President Donald Trump said he was 'less confident' about reaching a nuclear deal. Advertisement Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. 'All its bases are within our reach, we have access to them, and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries,' Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said in response to US threats of military action if the talks fail. 'God willing, things won't reach that point, and the talks will succeed,' the minister said, adding that the US side 'will suffer more losses' if it comes to conflict. Advertisement The United States has multiple bases in the Middle East, with the largest located in Qatar.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Syria decrees women must wear burkinis, ‘decent' clothing at public beaches
Syria's new Islamist authorities said on Tuesday that women going to public beaches must wear burkinis or other 'decent' clothes that cover the body, giving some private venues an exemption. In the largely conservative country, few women wear swimsuits that reveal their bodies. Six months after Islamist-led forces toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian tourism ministry announced in a statement that beachgoers must wear 'more decent' clothes, citing the 'public's interest' as a reason. Women must wear 'burkinis or swimwear that covers more of the body' on public beaches, the statement said. Outside swimming areas, women must wear loose-fitting clothing while men are not allowed to be topless. Private beach clubs and venues considered 'luxurious' by authorities do not have to abide by the new rules, with the tourism ministry saying 'Western swimsuits are allowed' there within the limits of 'general morals'. Other private establishments must follow the modesty rules.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
UK, Canada and others sanction Israeli ministers for ‘inciting violence against Palestinians'
Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said on Tuesday they have imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers for allegedly 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich face asset freezes and travel bans from the five countries. The ministers are champions of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The decision by Western governments friendly to Israel was a sharp rebuke of Israel's settlement policies in the West Bank and of settler violence, which has spiked since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The five countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.' Israel's Foreign Ministry said earlier it had been informed of the sanctions. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will be subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze. Photo: Reuters Smotrich, the country's finance minister, wrote on social media that he found out that Britain had decided to sanction him for obstructing the viability of a Palestinian state. 'We are determined to continue building,' he said.
