Jerusalem, May 21 (PTI) There were no Indian diplomats in the delegation that came under Israeli military fire during a visit to the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Wednesday, an Indian official said.
“There were no Indian diplomats in the delegation. All the Indian staff in the mission are safe,” the official told PTI.
A delegation of diplomats from more than 20 countries, including the UK, France, Canada and others, was on an official mission to see the humanitarian situation in the Jenin camp, Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, describing the firing incident as a “deliberate and unlawful act.” Some unconfirmed videos in circulation show Israeli soldiers firing toward the delegation as it backed away from a gate blocking the road.
A member of the delegation can be heard saying, “Be close to the wall, be close to the wall” as they disperse from the scene.
“The Ministry holds the Israeli occupying government fully and directly responsible for this criminal assault and affirms that such acts will not pass without accountability,” the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) acknowledged that the visit to the camp was coordinated in advance.
The IDF launched an initial investigation but noted that “the delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be”.
“The IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away,” the Israeli military said.
The IDF said it will reach out to the delegation following the initial inquiry and “regrets the inconvenience caused”. PTI HM ZH ZH
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