Israeli diplomat pledges to investigate case of Italian officers held at gunpoint in West Bank

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has pledged an investigation after two Italian security officers were held up by an Israeli soldier with an automatic weapon in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, made the pledge Monday in Rome after he was summoned by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani over the incident, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said it conveyed “strong disappointment and strong protest” and Peled “expressed regret for the incident” in addition to saying Israel would conduct “appropriate investigations.”

Italy claims the two officers were stopped on Sunday near the city of Ramallah by an Israeli “linked to settler circles.”

Israel’s military says a soldier detained the officers in accordance with proper army procedure for handling suspicious vehicles. It said the officers’ car wasn't marked as a diplomatic vehicle and once the officers identified themselves the soldier let them go.

The military said the car raised suspicion because it was driving down a road that was closed to civilian traffic. It acknowledged that the soldier had raised his weapon, and said it had summoned the soldier for a debrief and would clarify proper procedure to all West Bank troops.

Italian media, citing an Italian Foreign Ministry official, said the Israeli made the officers kneel down and answer questions before letting them go. Italian media also reported that the officials were in an armored car with diplomatic plates and carried diplomatic passports.

The Italians briefly detained were officers in the Carabinieri, said the ministry — Italy’s police force that occasionally takes part in peacekeeping missions abroad. The ministry said the officers had been “engaged in institutional activities in Palestinian territory” when they were stopped.

Italy has previously condemned rising settler violence in the West Bank. The ministry said it “reiterated” its concerns during the meeting with Peled.

Some 500,000 Israelis have settled in the West Bank since Israel captured the territory, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. Their presence is viewed by most of the international community as illegal and a major obstacle to peace. The Palestinians seek all three areas for a future state.