JERUSALEM – Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday afterits soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a majordemonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Israel s military has faced questions from rights groups over its use oflive fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war,while Palestinians accuse soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat.

Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief FedericaMogherini have called for an independent investigation.

On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Councilstatement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of theviolence, diplomats said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers actions for “guardingthe country s borders,” while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said theprotests were not a “Woodstock festival”.

Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical andon Sunday repeated his rejection of such an investigation.

“There will be no commission of inquiry,” he told Israel s public radio.

“There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with anycommission of inquiry.”

Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over hissharp criticism of what he called Israel s “inhumane attack” in Gaza.

“The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality fromsomeone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately,”Netanyahu tweeted.

He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who “bombs Kurdishvillagers”. – APP/AFP