May 22 (UPI) -- A group of foreign delegations visiting the occupied West Bank came under Israeli military fire, attracting international condemnation.
Diplomats from at least 20 countries, along with U.N. staff, were on an official visit to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday to inspect the humanitarian conditions around the Jenin refugee camp when Israeli soldiers fired rounds into the air.
According to the United Nations, the tour was approved by Israel and hosted by the Palestinian Authority, which accused the Israel Defense Forces of having "deliberately targeted" the delegation in what it described as "an unlawful act" that breaches international law and principles of diplomatic relations enshrined in the Vienna Convention.
"The targeting of accredited diplomatic representatives -- who enjoy full legal protections and immunities under international law -- reflects the systematic contempt of the Israeli occupation for the norms and obligations governing inter-state relations and underscores the deeply entrenched impunity with which it continues to operate," the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and the establishment of settlements there are widely viewed as illegal under international law.
