The United States called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss recent mortar attacks fired from Gaza into Israel – a move amid ongoing violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli authorities along the Gaza Strip, Politico writes.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, blamed “Palestinian militants” for the barrages, which reportedly struck the yard of an empty kindergarten and wounded at least five, Politico adds.
“The Security Council should be outraged and respond to this latest bout of violence directed at innocent Israeli civilians, and the Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they’re allowing to happen in Gaza,” Haley said in a statement.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations announced that the meeting would probably take place on Wednesday afternoon. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for the Tuesday mortar attacks, which were condemned by U.N. leaders and Israeli authorities.
Protesters and Israeli military forces have continued to clash along the Gaza border, as mass demonstrations erupted earlier this month as the relocated U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem opened – a decision by the Trump administration that was met with heavy opposition from the Palestinian Authority, Politico writes.
Dozens were killed as Israeli military forces opened fired on the protesters along the border, as Israeli officials blamed Hamas for instigating the violence. The Associated Press adds that in recent weeks, Israeli gunfire has killed more than 110 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Germany has strongly condemned attacks on Israel at the Gaza border, the most intense flare-up of hostilities since 2014, before Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Reuters informs.
“The German government strongly condemns the bombardment of Israeli territory … from the Gaza strip. The massive attacks on Israel are totally unacceptable. Israel has the right to defend its security and borders and to react appropriately to attacks,” said a foreign ministry spokesman on Wednesday.
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