West Bank incident involving diplomats raises accountability issues - Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Thursday that Wednesday's incident, in which foreign diplomats came under Israeli fire in the West Bank was an irresponsible act that raises serious questions about accountability.

"This incident was really serious. I watched the footage myself. Any situation involving weapons is serious. And when they're used in the way I saw in those recordings, it's extremely irresponsible. If this was related to carrying out orders, then the way the weapons were used definitely raises major accountability issues," Lithuania's top diplomat told reporters.

"Our expectation is that Israeli authorities will investigate the incident thoroughly, examine all the circumstances and come back with clear answers. That's the message I conveyed to the Israeli embassy today," he added.

On Wednesday, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry urged Israel to immediately investigate the incident, in which Israeli forces opened fire on diplomats visiting Jenin in the West Bank.

The Israeli military said its troops fired warning shots after the diplomats deviated from their approved route during their visit to the occupied West Bank city.

The delegation visiting the Jenin refugee camp included a Lithuanian representative. She was unharmed.

Budrys said the security of staff at Lithuania's embassy in Israel and its office in Palestine will now be reassessed.

"If necessary, we'll take additional steps, because security is a top priority," he said.

He also noted that threats to diplomatic missions in Lithuania and abroad are continuously monitored.

Budrys' comments came after two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead late Wednesday outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., by a gunman who shouted "free Palestine."

"After this attack and the tragic deaths of the two Israeli embassy staffers, we haven't revised our own threat assessments yet. We understand that tensions are rising in more than one country, and this is another reminder that these issues need to be addressed," the minister said.