AMN
Palestinians are observing a day of national mourning for at least 16 people killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the Gaza border yesterday.
Hundreds more were injured as Palestinians began a wave of protests, demanding a right to return to former family homes in what is now Israel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the deaths. Israeli officials said soldiers opened fire after rioting broke out.
The UN Security Council condemned the violence after an emergency session. UN Deputy political affairs chief Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the council that Israel must uphold its responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law.
In a written statement before the meeting, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, blamed the bloodshed on Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.