The White House has blamed Hamas for violent protests in Gaza that saw 55 Palestinians killed and thousands injured by Israeli forces, saying the Jewish state has the right to defend itself.
“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” White House spokesman Raj Shah said, refusing to call on Israel to show restraint.
The deadliest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since a 2014 war between the Jewish state and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas came as US President Donald Trump hailed the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem as “a great day for Israel”.
As tens of thousansd of Palestinians joined the Gaza protests on the border, at least 2,400 were injured and 55 killed as Israeli soldiers and snipers used live ammunition and barrages of tear gas to keep protesters from entering Israeli territory.
Mr Shah said: “Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response. Israel has the right to defend itself, ” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world leaders to follow the US example and move their embassies to Jerusalem, claiming recognising the city as the capital of Israel would be the first step to peace.
n the wake of the clashes, Turkey and South Africa recalled their ambassadors, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing Israel of “state terror” and “genocide”, and the South Africa government blaming “violent aggression” by the Israeli armed forces against peaceful protesters.
Mr Erdogan also announced three days of national mourning over the deaths, as well as a giant protest in Istanbul on Friday.
Read the story by Bel Trew in The Australian from The Times.