UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calledfor an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths andinjuries in Gaza on Friday, his spokesman said in a statement.
“He also appeals to those concerned to refrain from any act that could leadto further casualties and in particular any measures that could placecivilians in harm’s way,” U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said.
Meanwhile, According to the Press TV, the Israeli military has threatenedto step up it “response” if tensions continue on the Gaza border shortlyafter the UN held an emergency meeting over the regime’s massacre of over adozen Palestinians during an anti-occupation mass rally in the coastalenclave.
Israel’s chief military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said Saturdaythat the regime has thus far restricted its response to those he claimed tobe trying to breach Gaza’s border with the occupied territories.
He added that the military would, however go after those behind the angrydemonstrations “in other places too.”
According to the figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, 16Palestinians were killed and over 1,400 others wounded on Friday afterIsraeli forces fired live ammunition at Palestinian protesters marking LandDay and used tear gas to push them back from a heavily fortified borderfence.
Ahead of the protest, the Israeli military had deployed tanks and 100snipers with the authority to use live rounds on the Gaza border.
The latest threat came a day after the 15-member Security Council met atKuwait’s request, with its UN representative Mansour al-Otaibi describingthe situation in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip as “very dangerous.”
Meanwhile, assistant UN secretary general for political affairs, Taye-BrookZerihoun, urged maximum restraint amid “fear that the situation mightdeteriorate in the coming days.”
“Israel must uphold its responsibilities under international human rightsand humanitarian law. Lethal force should only be used as a last resortwith any resulting fatalities properly investigated by the authorities,” headded.
Additionally on Friday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged “anindependent and transparent investigation” into the Gaza clashes andreaffirmed the world body’s “readiness” to support the so-called peaceprocess.
Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesperson for Guterres, quoted the UN chief assaying that the Gaza “tragedy underlines the urgency of revitalizing thepeace process aiming at creating the conditions for a return to meaningfulnegotiations for a peaceful solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.