Israel apologizes for warning shots fired during visit of foreign diplomats who deviated from itinerary

Israeli soldiers fired warning shots into the air as a group of foreign diplomats traveled to the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) apologized for the incident.

The Times of Israel writes about this.

The military explained that before entering Jenin, the delegation was given a clear itinerary, which was agreed upon with the army. However, the diplomats did not follow it.

“During the coordination of the entry [to Jenin], the delegation members were given an approved route, which they were instructed to follow, as the area is an area of active combat,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

It was then that the soldiers opened fire in the air — no one was injured. The commander of the division on the West Bank, Brigadier General Yaki Dolph, immediately began an investigation, having learned that it was foreign diplomats who had entered the restricted area.

Another officer, Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim of the Civil Administration (COGAT), ordered his subordinates to contact representatives of the countries whose diplomats were in the group. He would meet with them personally and share the initial findings of the investigation.

"The Israel Defense Forces regrets the inconvenience caused," the IDF said in a statement.

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