Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces ahead of US embassy opening in Jerusalem

GAZA: Dozens of Palestinians in Gaza were shot dead by Israeli troops on Monday after bloody clashes erupted on the border before the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, which has infuriated Palestinians.

Accordnig to the Hamas-run health ministry, some 37 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,700 injured by Israeli fire by 3:30 p.m. A 14-year-old boy was among those killed.

Palestinians hurled stones while the Israeli military used snipers as black smoke poured from burning tyres, the BBC reported.

Several thousand people had gathered along the security fence and that its troops were operating “in accordance with standard procedures”.

Reports said hundreds had suffered gun shot wounds while many others were hit by shrapnel, affected by the smoke or had bruising and trauma.

The demonstrations and general strikes had been planned to protest against the US embassy’s relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which many consider contravenes international consensus to not recognize the city as Israel’s capital until its status is established during negotiations.

Palestinians see East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in 1980, as the capital of their future state.

The timing of the move has also been slammed, as it is being held a day ahead of Nakba Day (“Day of the Catastrophe”), which this year marks the 70th anniversary of Israel’s creation and subsequent displacement of some 700,000 Palestinian refugees.

A small interim embassy will start operating on Monday inside the existing US consulate building in Jerusalem. A larger site will be found later when the rest of the embassy moves from Tel Aviv.

Palestinian government spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud demands in a statement “an immediate international intervention to stop the terrible massacre in Gaza committed by the forces of the Israeli occupation against our heroic
people,” reported AFP.”

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-Agencies input