The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold an emergency session Tuesday to discuss the violence in Israel after the United States blocked a statement calling for an “independent and transparent investigation” into the killing of Palestinians protesters on the border.
Kuwait, which called for the meeting, drafted the Security Council statement condemning Israel’s actions during the demonstrations in the Gaza Strip.
“The Security Council expresses its outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest,” the statement read. “The Security Council calls for an independent and transparent investigation into these actions to ensure accountability.”
Speaking in Geneva, a spokesman for the UN Human Rights office denounced the “appalling deadly violence” and expressed concern what might happen later Tuesday when more protests are expected.
Israel has a right to defend its border according to international law but should only resort to the use of force as a last resort – and that doesn’t include firing on unarmed protesters – spokesman Rupert Colville said.
Fifty-nine people were killed during clashes with the Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip and 2,700 were wounded.
The unrest, which had been building for weeks as Palestinians tried to block a decade-long blockade of the border, exploded after the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem.
President Trump in December recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced he was relocating the embassy there from Tel Aviv – a decision that was met with outrage by Palestinians who claim part of Jerusalem as their capital.
Israel defended their response by saying they were defending the border against Hamas militants who were staging an attack.
The White House stood solidly by Israel.
“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,“ White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said at Monday’s briefing. ”Israel has the right to defend itself.”
In December, the UN General Assembly by a 128-9 vote, which included France and Britain, rejected the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital.
Britain on Tuesday said the violent outbreaks in Gaza were damaging to the peace process.
“We are extremely concerned by the scale of the violence. The loss of life and the large number of injured Palestinians is tragic. … Such violence is destructive to peace efforts,” a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday, adding that both sides should “show restraint.”
Russia blamed the US for igniting the bloodshed in Israel.
“From the very beginning, Moscow expressed concern that actions by the United States could provoke tensions in the Middle East,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The IDF reiterated in the statement that the army "holds Hamas accountable for all violence emanating from the Gaza Strip."
The IDF's airstrikes came hours after a rocket was fired from the strip, setting off warning sirens in the southern Israel. No one was hurt and no damage was caused by the rocket fire.
Early Friday morning, an Israeli aircraft targeted a Hamas observation post in the northern Gaza Strip in retaliation for earlier rocket fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel, according to the statement made by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
This round of Hamas rocket fire and the IDF airstrike happened after nearly one month of relative calm. The last attack from the Gaza Strip took place at the beginning of January when three mortars were fired from Gaza at southern Israel, causing no injuries or damage.
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