Palestine’s representative at the United Nations has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of more than 45 Palestinians and the injuring of close to two-thousand by Israeli forces along the Gaza border Israel.
Massive Palestinian protests along the border fence took place as the United States Embassy was officially relocated to Jerusalem to mark the 70th anniversary of the formation of the State of Israel.
Early indications are that the UN Security Council will convene within the next 24 hours to discuss the situation on the ground in Gaza.
Mayhem on the Gaza border with Israel – as thousands came to protest the controversial inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. In New York, an angry response from Palestine’s Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour.
“This massacre is taking place at the same time when the United States of America illegally and unilaterally and in a provocative way is opening its Embassy. It is very, very tragic that they are celebrating an illegal action while Israel is killing and injuring thousands of Palestinians civilians. This is the life of the Palestinian people and those who think that opening the Embassy opens doors to peace, let them look at what is really happening in the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a glorious day as President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner – who is also a White House envoy on Middle East peace – officially opened the Embassy, while 80 kilometers away, scenes of deadly chaos.
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner says, “While presidents before him have backed down from their pledge to move the American Embassy, once in office this President delivered. Because when President Trump makes a promise he keeps it. But today also demonstrates American leadership, by moving our embassy to Jerusalem we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted. We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else we have shown that the United States of America will do what is right and so we have.”
In a tweet President Trump called it a “Big day for Israel” adding “Congratulations”.
Palestine’s envoy Manour called it a tragic day for Palestinians.
“It is not only my anger it is the entire Palestinian nation is outraged when 45 civilians have been slaughtered and more than 2000 have been injured. If this happened in any nation what do you expect? Anything less than complete outrage by the nation against such an atrocity committed by an occupying power so that that to say anger – this is an understatement, I am more than angry for what is really happening to the Palestinian people today at the hands of the savages of the Israeli occupying forces.”
Israel’s defence force referred to the protesters as rioters who were hurling firebombs and explosive devices across the border, burning tyres and throwing rocks.
While calls grow for the UN Secretary General to appoint an independent investigation into the deaths of all those killed during weeks of protests.
“We are concerned about all of the violence and again as the SG made clear Israel has to calibrate its use of force and minimize the use of live fire, we’ve been extremely concerned about that and the idea that is could only be used as a last resort when human life is itself under threat.” says the SGs deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
At the heart of these developments is the status of Jerusalem – a city or part of it that both Israelis and Palestinians claim as a future capital and one in which today’s action by the United States is being viewed by many in the international community as taking sides in this decades long dispute.
The Security Council will likely convene on Tuesday amidst calls from Palestine for it to uphold its primary responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security.
