International

Israel kills at least 37 Palestinians in Gaza protesting against moving US embassy to Jerusalem

In protest against the moving of US Embassy to Jerusalem, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and close to 1700 others wounded as the Israeli army fired live ammunition and teargas and firebombs at protesters assembled along several points near the fence with Israel.

According to a report in Al Jazeera, Of the 1693 wounded, the ministry of health said at least 74 were below the age of 18, 23 were women and eight were journalists.

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of committing a ‘terrible massacre’. Palestinian government spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud demanded in a statement “an immediate international intervention to stop the terrible massacre in Gaza committed by the forces of the Israeli occupation against our heroic people.”

Israel has said it is only firing when necessary to stop attacks, damage to the fence and infiltration attempts.

The protest comes ahead of the annual commemorations of the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, when the state of Israel was established on May 15, 1948, which led to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their villages.

Demonstrations were also planned to coincide with the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the US’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, furthering stoking tensions and angering Palestinians.

Click to comment
To Top