Occupied Jerusalem (AFP & AP): The UN called Saturday for Israeli occupation regime and Hamas rulers to rein in violence a day after border clashes in which the Gaza health ministry said seven Palestinians were killed.
“I am deeply saddened by reports that seven Palestinians, including two children, were killed, and hundreds of others injured, by Israeli forces during demonstrations in the Gaza Strip yesterday (Friday),” the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement.
“I call on Israel, Hamas and all other actors with the ability to influence the situation, to take action now to prevent further deterioration and loss of life.”
Two boys aged 12 and 14, were among those killed in the clashes Friday, the bloodiest day of border protests since May 14, when more than 60 Palestinians died in violence accompanying the inauguration of the US embassy in occupied Jerusalem, a move that enraged Palestinians.
The Israeli regime army said in a statement Saturday that some 20,000 demonstrators had gathered at multiple sites along the Gaza-Israel border and that people had hurled “over 100” grenades and explosive devices at troops and the at the border fence.
The military said troops fired and that Israeli aircraft also struck two positions belonging to Hamas.
It declined to comment directly on Friday’s reported deaths.
Palestinians have been protesting almost weekly along the Gaza border since March 30 in what they call the “Great March of Return”.
At least 193 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli regime fire since then, the majority during border protests, while one Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.
“I call on Israeli forces to ensure that their use of force is in line with their obligations under international law,” McGoldrick said.
“All actors must ensure that children never be the target of violence and neither be put at risk of violence, nor encouraged to participate in violence.”
Thousands attended funerals for seven Palestinians killed by Israeli regime fire.
Among those killed near Gaza’s perimeter fence were two boys, ages 11 and 14. A Gaza rights group says the 11-year-old is the youngest to have been killed by Israeli fire in the protests.
Meanwhile, officials from Hamas group are travelling to Egypt in another attempt to negotiate the easing of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Hussam Badran, a politburo member of the militant group, said the delegation is arriving in Cairo in a few hours.
The officials, who he did not name, will work on “lifting the suffering on our people in Gaza as an urgent mission.”
The talks will focus on reaching a ceasefire deal that Hamas hopes will relax the blockade Israeli regime and Egypt imposed when Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
Earlier this week, a Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the Egyptian-sponsored efforts to broker a settlement with Israeli regime to lift the closure had been disrupted.
