Israel ambassador meets Canadian officials after what Carney calls ‘unacceptable’ West Bank warning shots

Israeli's Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed speaks about warning shots fired by Israel's military near a delegation that included four Canadians in the West Bank.

Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, met with Canadian officials after being summoned to explain why Israel’s military fired warning shots near a diplomatic tour in the West Bank on Wednesday.

The delegation included four Canadians, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed on X. On Wednesday, she wrote that she expects “a full investigation and accountability.” But on Thursday, after the meeting, she did not respond after a reporter asked her what was discussed.

Speaking to CTV’s Power Play, Moed said he believes an investigation – as Anand requested – is not necessary because the Israel has launched its own inquiry.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called the situation “totally unacceptable” during a press conference on Wednesday.

What happened?

Video of the incident shows a group of people, some of whom were wearing suits, stationed near a large yellow fence in Jenin, the location of a large refugee camp in the West Bank. Several shots can be heard, pushing the delegation and others – who appear to be journalists – to flee, kicking up dust as they ran.

In a statement published soon after, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) explained why it fired near the group.

“During the coordination of the entry, the delegation members were given an approved route to follow given their presence in an active combat zone,” the IDF wrote in Hebrew.

“According to an initial investigation, the delegation deviated from the route and arrived in an area where it was prohibited from staying. An IDF force operating at the point fired a warning shot.”

The IDF wrote that it later “became clear that it was a diplomatic delegation,” and it “regrets the inconvenience caused.”

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign affairs ministry condemned the episode and called on the diplomats’ home countries “to take a clear and resolute stance against this egregious violation.”

‘Nobody was shot at’: Ambassador

Appearing on Power Play, Moed said that the Israeli military is already investigating the incident, and that it was proactive in publishing details of the situation online.

“It’s a normal procedure,” he said of the investigation. “Perhaps this is a new government and they’re not familiar with the fact that this is how we operate.”

He explained that the group had travelled a “block and a half further” than their designated route. The IDF soldiers “saw a group coming towards them,” and fired the shots into the air as a warning.

“Nobody was shot at,” he also said. “There were some shots fired in the air … I don’t think that the delegation, or anybody around that side felt that he was shot at.”

Canada condemned Israeli military action

On Monday, Canada, the United Kingdom and France condemned Israel’s expansion of military operations and other actions in Gaza and the West Bank, threatening in a joint statement to take concrete actions, including sanctions.

The countries issued the statement a day after Israel announced it would allow a “basic” amount of aid into the Gaza Strip. The three prime ministers called that “wholly inadequate,” adding the level of human suffering is “intolerable.”

“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions,” reads the statement. “If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”

The statement also called on Hamas to immediately release the remaining hostages seized during the October 7 attack.

“Hamas will not release them. Had they done that almost two years ago, 19 months ago, there would have been any kind of war,” said Moed when asked to respond to the letter.

Following the joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the three leaders in a post on X on Thursday, claiming them to be on the “wrong side of justice.”

With files from The Associated Press