Israel faces mounting criticism over Palestinian deaths

GAZA CITY - Israel was under mounting international pressure amid calls Tuesday for an independent probe after its forces killed 60 Palestinians during violence along the Gaza border as the United States opened an embassy in Jerusalem.

Protests and sporadic clashes flared again on the Gaza border, though they were far fewer in number than the previous day, with one Palestinian killed by Israeli fire, the Gazan health ministry said.

Palestinians on Tuesday marked the Nakba, or "catastrophe", commemorating the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

It comes a day after the United States transferred its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem in a move that infuriated the Palestinians and was widely condemned.

On Monday, tens of thousands had gathered near the border in protest while smaller numbers of stone-throwing Palestinians approached the fence and sought to break through, with Israeli snipers positioned on the other side.

Most of the 60 Gazans who died Monday were shot by Israeli snipers, Gaza's health ministry said.

The toll included a baby who died from tear gas inhalation along with eight children under the age of 16, the ministry said.

At least 2,400 others were wounded in the bloodiest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 Gaza war.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya vowed protests in Gaza would continue on Tuesday.

Hamas's armed wing and other militant groups "will not prolong their silence over the crimes of the occupation", he said.

In the West Bank, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas declared a general strike on Tuesday after accusing Israel of "massacres".

Some of the funerals for the dead were held on Monday, while others were taking place Tuesday.

Hundreds of people took part in the funeral of Yazan Tubasi, 23, killed east of Gaza City.

His father Ibrahim, 50, said his son had a boy aged one year and three months.

"I am happy that my son is a martyr," he said, though he was crying uncontrollably. "He is among dozens who died for the sake of Palestine and Jerusalem."

Small numbers of protesters began returning to the border area on Tuesday, with larger crowds expected later.

- Protests and clashes -

The death toll led to strong condemnation from rights groups and concern from a range of countries.

But the United States blocked the adoption of a UN Security Council statement that would have called for an independent probe into the violence, diplomats at the United Nations said.

Despite the violence, the embassy inauguration went on as planned in Jerusalem, attended by a Washington delegation that included US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both White House aides.

Trump addressed the gathering by video.

"Our greatest hope is for peace," he said, despite the Palestinian anger the move has provoked.

Israel's military said 40,000 Palestinians had taken part in the protests and clashes.

It said its aircraft had targeted 11 Hamas sites and tanks fired at "two terror posts belonging to Hamas", accusing the Palestinian Islamist movement of opening fire towards Israeli forces.

Israel says its action is necessary to stop infiltrations of the border fence and claims that Hamas, which runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, uses the protests as cover to carry out violence.

The White House also blamed Hamas for the violence.

But there were numerous calls for an independent investigation into the deaths, with Britain, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium among those supporting such action.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the European Union have previously called for an independent probe, with 115 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since protests and clashes began on the Gaza border on March 30.

One Israeli soldier has been reported wounded during that time.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "violence of the Israeli armed forces against the protesters" as several countries urged restraint.

Britain's minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt acknowledged "Israel's right to defend its borders" but also said "the large volume of live fire is extremely concerning".

"We continue to implore Israel to show greater restraint," he said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said "we expect all to act with utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of "state terror" and "genocide."

Turkey also said it was recalling its ambassadors to the United States and Israel "for consultations," while South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel "until further notice".

In Dublin, Ireland summoned Israel's ambassador to protest.

China called for restraint, "especially" from Israel, while Russia expressed " deepest concern".

"The situation, particularly the deaths of many dozens of Palestinians, cannot but provoke the deepest concern," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"Moscow expressed concern from the start over the actions of the US that could lead to provoking tensions in the Middle East," Peskov said.

"Unfortunately, that's how it worked out."

The Arab League urged the International Criminal Court prosecutor to urgently investigate "the crimes of the Israeli occupation" against Palestinians.

"Israel is an oppressive and murderous entity and its politicians and officers must be taken to the International Criminal Court," Amjad Shamout, the chairman of the Arab League's rights committee, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The US ambassador to the United Nations nevertheless strongly defended Israel at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

"No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has," Nikki Haley said. "In fact the records of several countries here today suggest they would be much less restrained."

The UN rights office meanwhile said it seemed that any Palestinian protesting in Gaza, regardless of whether they pose an imminent threat, is "liable" to be killed by Israeli forces.

"The mere fact of approaching a fence is not a lethal, life-threatening act, so that does not warrant being shot," rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

"It seems that anyone is liable to be shot dead," he added, stressing that international laws which apply to Israel make clear that "lethal force may only be used as a measure of last, not first, resort."

"It is not acceptable to say that 'this is Hamas and therefore this is OK'," Colville added, in an apparent dismissal of Israel's justification for the high casualty levels among Palestinians in clashes along the flashpoint border.

Colville also noted that a double amputee was among the Palestinians killed.

"How much threat can a double amputee be making from the other side of a large fortified fence?" he asked.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said Tuesday that "those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account."

- 'Terrorist squads' -

At least 115 Palestinians have been killed in a campaign of protests along the Gaza border since March 30, the vast majority by Israeli snipers during clashes. One Israeli soldier has been reported wounded during that time.

On Monday, the army said "many rioters" tried to breach the border fence and "approximately 10 explosive devices and several firebombs were used to target the security fence and (Israeli) troops". It said shots were also fired at the soldiers.

The embassy inauguration followed Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

Jerusalem's status is perhaps the thorniest issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

International consensus has been that the city's status must be negotiated between the two sides, but Trump broke with that to global outrage.

He has argued that it helps make peace possible by taking Jerusalem "off the table", but many have noted he has not announced any concessions in return from Israel.

Beyond the disputed nature of Jerusalem, the date of the embassy move was also key. May 14 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of 700,000 Palestinians from their land.