Netanyahu says it is necessary to ‘avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action’ in Gaza.
Tánaiste Simon Harris also condemned shots fired near an EU delegation in the West Bank on Wednesday. Two Irish officials were among those present when what the Israeli military called “warning shots” were fired near delegates.
“This is an utterly, utterly inappropriate and indeed illegal action,” Ireland’s deputy premier said, adding:
A number of diplomats, including the Irish head of mission to Palestine and his deputy, were visiting Jenin, a region in the West Bank. They were visiting, effectively, an area that’s a refugee camp. They were standing at the gates of that refugee camp, and the governor of Jenin, a member of the Palestinian Authority, was speaking and giving them an update.
When his speech ended and the diplomats began to disperse, my understanding from speaking to our people on the ground is that a number of members of the Israel Defense Forces stepped forward and fired warning shots over their heads, or what is described as warning shots – whether they were warning shots or otherwise, they were shots – and firing shots at diplomats is an absolute, clear breach of international law.
Do they think we’re thick? They knew that diplomats were visiting the region, and the diplomats notified the Israel Defense Forces in advance.
I don’t accept in any manner or means the Israel Defense Forces’ explanation in relation to this. I find it utterly offensive, in fact. There needs to be – as we’ve said at an EU level – a full investigation in relation to this, and those who fired the shots, or those who gave the commands to fire the shots, need to be held accountable.
This is a vile antisemitic murder of two young members of the Israeli embassy – a young couple, I believe, who were due to very shortly be engaged.
It is a despicable act. It’s a heinous crime. It is antisemitic and it’s vile.