CARICOM condemns use of force by Israeli army against Palestinians

CARICOM yesterday condemned the use of force by the Israel Defence Force firing on largely unarmed Palestinians protesting along the Gaza-Israel border. In a statement, the Community says it has followed with increasing alarm the mounting toll of fatalities and injured among the demonstrators.

On Monday 14 May, some sixty protesters, mostly young men and boys, were said to have been killed and seventeen hundred wounded during the clashes. These clashes occurred mainly in the Gaza Strip and coincided with the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem – a highly controversial move as the status of the city remains a subject of major dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.

“In the midst of these troubling developments, the Caribbean Community calls for restraint in the use of force and for a halt to this unacceptable escalation of death and violence. The Community reiterates its position that the IsraelPalestine conflict can only be resolved by peaceful means and reaffirms its support for a two-state solution with the people of Israel and Palestine living in independent countries within secure and international recognised borders in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions”.