The U.S. on Tuesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a probe into the violence on the Gaza border on Monday.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, many have expressed “outrage and sorrow” over the violence on Monday that left more than 50 dead and called for an “independent and transparent investigation” into the deaths.
Meanwhile, the Independent reported that drafters of the statement urged all nations to comply to the Security Council resolution, calling for countries to not establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, which is highly contested by Israelis and Palestinians.
Palestinians consider East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.
The statement was drafted by Kuwait and directly addressed the violence, which was sparked by the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
More than 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire on the Gaza border on Monday, while hundreds of others were left injured as waves of Palestinians attempted to cross the border into Israel.
However, the White House blames Hamas for the violence.
“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas. Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response,” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters on Monday.
“We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Hamas is the one that, frankly, bears responsibility for the entire situation right now,” he continued.
Other countries have also condemned Israel’s actions on the border.
The Washington Post reported that German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert on Tuesday said the violence “concerns us greatly and it’s terrible that so many people lost their lives, including minors.”
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel also called Israel’s actions “unacceptable violence,” and said, “there is a clear lack of proportionality and we are asking for an international investigation.”
South Africa recalled their ambassador to Israel in the wake of the violence, while Ireland summoned its Israeli ambassador to express its “shock and dismay” over Israel’s actions.
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