European envoys caught in cross‑fire demand investigation as Israel cites security breach

Jenin, Occupied West Bank — “There was a sharp, unmistakable burst of automatic fire. We saw dust kick up just metres from where we were standing,” recalled one diplomat, still visibly shaken minutes after the incident. On 21 May 2025 a convoy of 25 European and Arab ambassadors and senior diplomats visiting the Jenin refugee camp came under live fire from Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.¹ According to the diplomats, the gunfire — described by Israel as “warning shots” — erupted without prior notice as the delegation paused for a scheduled briefing at the camp’s eastern gate.

No one was injured, but the event has triggered a political outcry across European capitals. France, Germany, Belgium and Ireland lodged formal protests, and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas demanded a “transparent and independent” investigation.² “Our colleagues were in a clearly marked diplomatic convoy and had coordinated their route,” Kallas said. “To target them, even with warning fire, is unacceptable.”

The delegation, which also included representatives from Norway, Switzerland and Jordan, had travelled to Jenin to assess reconstruction needs following the large‑scale Israeli raid in February that left more than a dozen Palestinians dead and critical infrastructure in ruins.³ The visit was part of a broader EU effort to monitor humanitarian conditions in the northern West Bank, where Israeli incursions have intensified since the October 2023 Gaza war.

In an initial statement, the IDF acknowledged responsibility but insisted the troops acted in accordance with the rules of engagement. “The delegation deviated from the route that had been approved with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories,” an army spokesperson said. “When they approached a live operational zone, soldiers fired two shots into the air to distance them and prevent potential harm.”⁴ Israeli officials later released aerial footage that they said showed the convoy halted near an alley used frequently by armed militants.

Diplomats on the scene disputed that account. Video obtained by several media outlets shows an unarmed delegation standing near a yellow gate some distance from the IDF position when the shots rang out. “There were no warnings, no loudspeakers, no flares,” said the French Consul‑General in Jerusalem. “It was live ammunition.”⁵ Palestinian residents reported that soldiers had been skirmishing with local militants moments earlier, raising fears that the diplomats might have been caught in cross‑fire rather than specifically targeted.

The shoot‑first episode comes at a fraught moment in EU–Israel relations. Earlier this week the European Council postponed a high‑level trade dialogue with Israel, citing concerns over the civilian toll in Gaza, where the local health ministry says more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.⁶ Britain, though no longer an EU member, suspended its own free‑trade discussions with Israel and announced sanctions on two far‑right Israeli coalition partners.

“This is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern in which Israel disregards international norms,” argued Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, pointing to a similar 2024 episode when a Spanish diplomatic vehicle was struck by IDF rubber bullets near Tulkarm. EU lawmakers have already tabled an emergency motion calling for the suspension of Israel’s Association Agreement if the Jenin inquiry does not meet international standards.

Inside Israel the incident has also sparked debate. Retired IDF major general and opposition lawmaker Yair Golan tweeted that “opening fire near diplomats is amateurish and strategically disastrous.” A Knesset sub‑committee on foreign affairs has requested a closed briefing from Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on the rules of engagement in the West Bank.

Jenin has long been a flash‑point. The camp, home to roughly 17,000 refugees, is controlled in part by armed factions aligned with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Israeli forces conduct near‑nightly raids, arguing they are necessary to pre‑empt attacks inside Israel. Human‑rights groups say the tactics amount to collective punishment and have catalogued widespread property damage.⁷

The Palestinian Authority (PA) accused Israel of trying to intimidate international observers. “Warning shots are still shots,” said PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. “They demonstrate Israel’s intent to isolate Jenin from the world’s gaze.” Hamas, which controls Gaza, seized on the episode as proof that “occupation forces fear the truth.” Israeli officials countered that the PA had failed to curb militant activity in Jenin, forcing the army to operate in a densely populated urban labyrinth.

Humanitarian agencies say that labyrinth is quickly sliding into anarchy. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 42 Israeli incursions into Jenin governorate during April alone — the highest monthly figure since record‑keeping began in 2007.⁸ Schools have been closed for six of the past eight weeks, while local NGOs report chronic shortages of medical supplies, clean water and electricity.

In Brussels, EU foreign‑affairs ministers will convene an extraordinary session on Monday to discuss a coordinated response. Options on the table include a temporary recall of ambassadors, targeted travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers and the suspension of research grants under the Horizon Europe programme. Diplomats privately acknowledge, however, that unanimity may be elusive; Hungary and the Czech Republic have already signalled opposition to punitive measures, arguing that Israel’s security concerns must be respected.

For now, investigators will focus on reconstructing the precise sequence of events at the yellow gate on the edge of Jenin camp. GPS logs from the diplomatic convoy, radio recordings from the IDF unit and footage from journalists embedded in the delegation should provide clarity. Whatever the findings, Wednesday’s crack of rifle fire has already reverberated far beyond the narrow alleyways of Jenin — echoing in the chambers of European parliaments and adding fresh strain to Israel’s most critical relationships abroad.