The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
More protesters die as the world watches
Two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during protests near the border in Gaza, health officials said.
The shootings come amid growing international uproar over the Israeli military’s use of deadly force against unarmed protesters.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by live fire in a series of weekly protests led by the ruling Hamas militant group.
On Monday alone, nearly 60 people were killed in the deadliest day of violence since a 2014 war.
Palestinians resumed their protests yesterday, but only dozens turned out. The health ministry said the two fresh deaths occurred in separate incidents in central Gaza.
Israel claimed it is defending its border and accuses Hamas of using demonstrations as cover to carry out attacks against Israeli targets.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has asked the Turkish consul general in Jerusalem to temporarily leave the country.
The move came after the Turkish foreign ministry temporarily expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest over Monday’s killings and the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem.
The relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv, condemned by Palestinians as blatantly pro-israel, further dimmed prospects of what President Donald Trump had once touted as plans to negotiate the “deal of the century”.
The high casualty toll revived international criticism of Israel’s open-fire policies.
Rights groups have said the use of potentially lethal force against protesters who pose no immediate threat to soldiers’ lives is unlawful.
The military has said presumably less lethal rubber-coated steel pellets are not effective in keeping demonstrators from the fence.
Germany, Belgium and Ireland called for an investigation of the violence. China called on Israel to exercise restraint. On Monday, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel until further notice.