The European Commission will file a formal protest with Israel after Israeli soldiers fired warning shots today near an EU parliamentary delegation by Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, the EU representative in Jerusalem announced today.
"I was accompanying a group of 20 people, including a dozen European parliament members, notably from Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Britain when Israeli soldiers fired a round of warning shots to discourage us from continuing our trip by Khan Yunis," said Mr Jean Bretecher.
Mr Bretcher complained there was no need for the Israeli soldiers to fire warning shots. He added security tensions have disturbed official visits and various humanitarian projects led by Europeans and NGOs in the region.
An Israeli army spokesman said Palestinian protesters were throwing rocks at Israelis at the moment when the European delegation was driving in the area, but "certainly the parliament members were not a target."
Meanwhile six Palestinians were injured today in clashes throughout the West Bank between young demonstrators and the Israeli army. In Hebron, the Israeli army fired rubber bullets at stone-throwers, and an army spokesperson said four petrol bombs were thrown at soldiers. The fighting started as Muslims concluded their weekly afternoon prayers. Earlier, Jewish settlers had beaten up four Palestinian street vendors before Israeli soldiers intervened, witnesses said.
Clashes also broke out on the northern edge of the West Bank city of Ramallah, with 200 youths throwing rocks and bottles and rolling flaming tires at Israeli soldiers.
AFP