World slams disproportionate force in Gaza
South Africa recalls ambassador
The international community urged Israel to stop shooting Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border – with South Africa recalling its ambassador in protest – after a day of violent riots left 55 Palestinians dead on Monday.
“The South African government condemns in the strongest terms possible the latest act of violent aggression carried out by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border,” the South African government said. “Given the indiscriminate and grave manner of the latest Israeli attack, the South African government has taken a decision to recall Ambassador Sisa Ngombane with immediate effect until further notice,” it added.
Kuwait requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to discuss the Gaza violence.
The IDF did its best to make its case that the Hamas led protests, known as the Great March of Return, were not peaceful demonstrations but violent riots designed to break through the border fence and kidnap soldiers.
But Israel’s allies in Europe, who earlier in the week spoke of Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran, called for restraint after Monday turned out to be the bloodiest day of protests since the Great March began on March 30.
The numbers of dead were reported by the Hamas led Ministry of Health in Gaza and there was no independent corroboration.
The German Foreign Office and the French Foreign Ministry expressed concern that Israeli actions in Gaza amounted to a disproportional use of force.
“Israel has the right to defend itself and to secure the fence against violent incursion. However, the principle of proportionality applies. That includes only using live ammunition when other, less forceful methods of deterrence do not work and in cases of concrete threats,” the German Foreign Office said.
At the same time, it also urged Hamas not to exploit the protest for violent ends.
“The right to peaceful protest must also apply in Gaza. At the same time, we have always made clear that this right must not be abused, taken as a pretext or exploited in order to escalate the situation, deploy violence or incite others to do so,” the German Foreign Office said.
“Those who wield power in the Gaza Strip must renounce violence and the Palestinian Authority must once again be in control in Gaza,” it added.
French Foreign Minister Jean Yves-Le Drian called for restraint on both sides, but unlike Germany did not make any statement against Hamas.
“France again calls on the Israeli authorities to exercise discretion and restraint with respect to the use of force, which must be strictly proportionate. It reaffirms the duty to protect civilians, especially minors, and the right of Palestinians to demonstrate peacefully,” Drian said.
The European Union, the United Nations and Great Britain’s Theresa May also called for restraint. The EU, in addition, urged Israel not to use disproportional force and for Hamas to ensure that the demonstrations were peaceful.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “it is imperative that everyone show the utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life, including ensuring that all civilians and particularly children are not put in harm’s way.
Zeid Ra’ad, the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights tweeted a much shaper note out of Geneva.
The “shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in #Gaza must stop now. The right to life must be respected. Those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account. The [international] community needs to ensure justice for victims.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry minced no words and called Israeli actions on the Gaza border “a massacre.”