Jenin, Jul 9 (IANS): A delegation of foreign diplomats has visited the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp following an Israeli large-scale military raid on the city earlier this week.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees organised a tour on Saturday that lasted for several hours for the delegation of 30 diplomats, most of whom represented European countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
On July 3, the Israeli army launched a two-day large-scale military operation in the Jenin area to crack down on Palestinian militants. The raid left 12 Palestinians and one Israeli army officer dead and dozens of others wounded.
The diplomats toured the refugee camp and looked at the houses and infrastructure that were destructed during the Israeli raid.
The representative of the European Union in Palestine, Sven Kun von Burgsdorff, told reporters that the delegation visited Jenin "to see the damage that occurred and work to submit reports to all capitals of diplomatic missions about what happened".
"The visit aims to express solidarity with the population in the camp, which must be protected under all circumstances, especially children and families," he said.
He stressed the need "to provide financial and political support to the Palestinian Authority so that it can work effectively in Jenin and its camp".
Burgsdorff called on the international community to take the necessary measures to ensure Israel's commitment to its compliance with international law.
Since January, 26 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, and 190 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures.