www.cnn.com
Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians in bloody clashes at the Gaza border Monday in the deadliest day there since the 2014 war, as the US officially opened its Embassy in Jerusalem just 50 miles away.
At least 55 Palestinians died, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, during protests over the Trump administration’s controversial relocation of the Embassy from Tel Aviv, a move that has been praised by Israelis but has enraged Palestinians
Most of the dead were killed by Israeli fire near the border. CNN journalists heard gunshots in spurts and saw a tank moving towards the fence in the border area of Malaka. Israeli drones also dropped tear gas in an effort to disperse protesters.
Palestinian officials accused Israel of committing a “horrific massacre” and called on the international community to immediately intervene. The Palestinian Health Ministry said more than 2,000 had suffered injuries, and that many of the dead had not yet been identified.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, of “leading a terrorist operation” and inciting around 35,000 protesters who had assembled in numerous locations along the border fence to conduct what Israel described as terror attacks.
The military said the protesters threw Molotov cocktails, burned tires, and stones at Israeli soldiers positioned along the fence. The IDF also says it foiled an attack by three armed Palestinians near Rafah, close to the border with Egypt, during “a particularly violent demonstration.”
Many of the injured Palestinians were young men who were hit by live ammunition, according to British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitteh, who spoke to CNN from a hospital run by a British charity in Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza.
“By far, this is the worst day. Worse than the first Friday (of the Gaza protests) and we’re expecting it to be as bad tomorrow,” Abu Sitteh said, adding that a majority of the wounded were suffering from limb injuries that could have “long-term consequences.”
“Each of these young men will need five or seven surgeries for their injuries and I would say 60% of them will be left with some permanent disability.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military’s actions, tweeting Monday evening that “every country has the duty to defend its borders.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas convened an emergency government meeting on Monday afternoon and announced a general strike and three days of mourning, both to start Tuesday.
“Today is one of the most ferocious days our people have seen,” Abbas said, before turning his thoughts to the newly-anointed US Embassy. “Before we were suffering from illegal Israeli settlements. Now it’s another illegal settlement by the Israel and the United States.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was “profoundly alarmed” by the violence in Gaza and urged Israeli forces to “exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire,” his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
Kuwait requested an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East and Gaza for Tuesday morning.