By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - German Green party leader Franziska Brantner on Thursday called for summoning Israel’s ambassador, Ron Prosor, after a group of diplomats came under fire during their visit to the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.
"If Israeli soldiers shoot at European – including German – diplomats, this must not go unpunished," Brantner said in Berlin.
She called on Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to take action on this matter and initiate a coordinated European response and demand clarification, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).
"All affected EU states should summon their Israeli ambassadors – Germany, too, must not duck the issue," Brantner demanded.
"Foreign Minister Wadephul must also insist that the Israeli government finally guarantee safe and permanent access for humanitarian aid in Gaza. This can only succeed if the parties to the conflict return to the negotiating table and agree to a ceasefire," she said.
On Wednesday, Germany strongly condemned Israel for its gunfire attack in the Jenin refugee camp.
“The German Foreign Ministry strongly condemns this unprovoked firing,” a ministry spokeswoman said, adding that a German diplomat was also among the delegation during the visit.
“The independent observer role of the diplomats on the ground is indispensable and in no way represents a threat to Israeli security interests,” the spokeswoman emphasized. “The Israeli government must immediately clarify the circumstances and respect the inviolability of diplomats,” she added.
According to the ministry, the diplomatic delegation had coordinated their visit in advance with both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army. The ministry said Foreign Minister Wadephul plans to discuss Germany's concerns with his Israeli counterpart in an upcoming phone call, though no further details were provided.
Israeli forces fired shots to intimidate the foreign diplomatic delegation as it arrived at the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian official who spoke to Anadolu on Wednesday.
The delegation included diplomats from several EU member states plus Türkiye, the UK, Russia, China, India, Brazil, and Japan, along with representatives from several other countries, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.