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Israel condemned as warning shots fired on West Bank delegation ‘violates all diplomatic norms'
Israel condemned as warning shots fired on West Bank delegation ‘violates all diplomatic norms'

News24

time22-05-2025

  • Politics
  • News24

Israel condemned as warning shots fired on West Bank delegation ‘violates all diplomatic norms'

Israeli troops fired warning shots at diplomats visiting the West Bank. Israel said the diplomats deviated from an approved route. The EU urged Israel to hold those responsible for the shooting to account. Israeli troops fired 'warning shots' during a visit by foreign diplomats 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 to account those responsible for the shooting near 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'. A European diplomat said the group had gone to the area 'to see the destruction' caused by months of Israeli operations. 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'. READ | 'The situation in Gaza is catastrophic': UAE to facilitate aid, EU to review ties with Israel It said it 'regrets the inconvenience caused' by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries. The incident came as international pressure intensified over the war in Gaza, where Palestinians were desperate for supplies after a two-month aid blockade was eased. Mohammad Mansour/AFP Rescue teams in the Palestinian territory 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 2 March 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 7 October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. AFP Israel has faced massive pressure, including from traditional allies, to halt its intensified offensive and allow aid into Gaza. Kallas said on Tuesday that 'a strong majority' of foreign ministers from the 27-nation European Union backed the move to review its trade cooperation with Israel. 'The countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable... and what we want is to unblock the humanitarian aid,' she said. Sweden said it would press the EU to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador. Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as 'worrying and painful' and called for 'the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid'. Israel's foreign ministry has said the EU action 'reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing'. Germany on Wednesday defended a key EU-Israel cooperation deal as 'an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions' over the situation in Gaza. After the warning shots were fired at diplomats, Belgium demanded a 'convincing explanation' from Israel, while Spain said it was 'in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn'. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome and said that 'threats against diplomats are unacceptable'. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP France also said it would summon Israel's ambassador, and Germany said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul would also raise the 'unprovoked shooting' with his Israeli counterpart. Egypt said the incident 'violates all diplomatic norms'. Ahmad al-Deek, political adviser for the Palestinian foreign ministry who accompanied the delegation, condemned 'this reckless act by the Israeli army'. 'It had given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living,' he said. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the delegation included diplomats from more than 20 countries including Britain, China, Egypt, France, Jordan, Turkey and Russia. In Gaza, Israel resumed its operations across the territory on 18 March, ending a two-month ceasefire. Hamas' October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1 218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead. Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday at least 3 509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on 18 March, taking the war's overall toll to 53 655.

Netanyahu says ready for Gaza ‘temporary ceasefire'
Netanyahu says ready for Gaza ‘temporary ceasefire'

Arab News

time21-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Arab News

Netanyahu says ready for Gaza ‘temporary ceasefire'

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he was open to a 'temporary ceasefire' in Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and aid blockade in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. 'If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages, we'll be ready,' Netanyahu said, noting that at least 20 hostages were confirmed alive. But he added the Israeli military aimed to bring all of Gaza under its control by the end of its current operation. 'We must avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action,' he said. His remarks came hours after Israeli troops fired what the army called 'warning shots' near a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, triggering global condemnation and fresh diplomatic tension. The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israeli forces of 'deliberately targeting by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation' near the flashpoint city of Jenin. A European diplomat said the group had traveled to the area to witness the destruction caused by months of Israeli military raids. The Israeli army said 'the delegation deviated from the approved route' and entered a restricted zone. Troops opened fire to steer the group away, it said, adding no injuries were reported and expressing regret for the 'inconvenience caused.' Gazans are not receiving aid European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on Israel to investigate the shooting and to hold those responsible 'accountable.' The incident came as anger mounted over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are scrambling for basic supplies after weeks of near-total isolation. Palestinian rescue teams said overnight Israeli strikes had killed at least 19 people, including a week-old baby. No one is distributing anything to us. Everyone is waiting for aid, but we haven't received anything Umm Talal Al-Masri, displaced Palestinian in Gaza City A two-month total blockade was only partially eased this week, with aid allowed into the territory for the first time since March 2, a move leading to critical food and medicine shortages. Israel said 100 trucks with aid entered Gaza on Wednesday, following 93 the day before which the United Nations has said had been held up. Humanitarian groups have said that the amount falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis. Umm Talal Al-Masri, 53, a displaced Palestinian in 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 said. 'We're grinding lentils and pasta to make some loaves of bread, and we barely manage to prepare one meal a day.' The 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 expanded offensive and allow aid into Gaza. Kallas said 'a strong majority' of EU foreign ministers backed the move to review its trade cooperation with Israel. EU pressure on Israel Sweden said it would press the 27-nation bloc to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador. Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as 'worrying and painful' and called for 'the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid.' Israel's foreign ministry has said the EU action 'reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing.' Germany defended a key EU-Israel cooperation deal as 'an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions' over the situation in Gaza. In Gaza, Israel resumed its operations across the territory on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead. Gaza's health ministry said Tuesday at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,655.

Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure
Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure

Jordan Times

time21-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Jordan Times

Israeli 'warning' fire at diplomats sparks outcry amid Gaza pressure

A picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip, shows smoke billowing above destroyed buildings during Israeli bombardment in the besieged Palestinian territory on May 21, 2025 (AFP photo) JENIN, Palestinian Territories — Israeli troops fired warning shots during a visit by foreign diplomats 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 to account those responsible for the shooting near 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". A European diplomat said the group had gone to the area "to see the destruction" caused by months of Israeli operations. 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 said it "regrets the inconvenience caused" by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries. The incident came as international pressure intensified over the war in Gaza, where Palestinians were desperate for supplies after a two-month aid blockade was eased. Rescue teams in the Palestinian territory said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including a week-old baby. 'Unbearable' 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. Kallas said on Tuesday that "a strong majority" of foreign ministers from the 27-nation European Union backed the move to review its trade cooperation with Israel. "The countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable... and what we want is to unblock the humanitarian aid," she said. Sweden said it would press the EU to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador. Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as "worrying and painful" and called for "the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid". Israel's foreign ministry has said the EU action "reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing". Germany on Wednesday defended a key EU-Israel cooperation deal as "an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions" over the situation in Gaza. Reckless act' After the warning shots were fired at diplomats, Belgium demanded a "convincing explanation" from Israel, while Spain said it was "in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn". Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome and said that "threats against diplomats are unacceptable". Ahmad Al Deek, political adviser for the Palestinian foreign ministry, said he had been leading the delegation. "We condemn this reckless act by the Israeli army, especially at a time when it had given the diplomatic delegation an impression of the life the Palestinian people are living", he said. A European diplomat present during the visit said he heard "repeated shots" coming from inside Jenin refugee camp, which has been largely emptied of its inhabitants since the Israeli operation began in January. In Gaza, Israel resumed its operations across the territory on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Gaza's health ministry said Tuesday at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,655.

Gaza war: Israeli 'warning' fire at foreign diplomats sparks outcry
Gaza war: Israeli 'warning' fire at foreign diplomats sparks outcry

Khaleej Times

time21-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Khaleej Times

Gaza war: Israeli 'warning' fire at foreign diplomats sparks outcry

Israeli troops fired warning shots during a visit by foreign diplomats 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 to account those responsible for the shooting near 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". A European diplomat said the group had gone to the area "to see the destruction" caused by months of Israeli operations. 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 said it "regrets the inconvenience caused" by the shooting, which resulted in no injuries. The incident came as international pressure intensified over the war in Gaza, where Palestinians were desperate for supplies after a two-month aid blockade was eased. Rescue teams in the Palestinian territory 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. Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as "worrying and painful" and called for "the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid". After the warning shots were fired at diplomats, Belgium demanded a "convincing explanation" from Israel, while Spain said it was "in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn". Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome and said that "threats against diplomats are unacceptable". A European diplomat present during the visit said he heard "repeated shots" coming from inside Jenin refugee camp, which has been largely emptied of its inhabitants since the Israeli operation began in January.

Israeli troops fire ‘warning' shots near EU diplomats, sparking outcry amid Gaza pressure
Israeli troops fire ‘warning' shots near EU diplomats, sparking outcry amid Gaza pressure

South China Morning Post

time21-05-2025

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

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.

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