Unic Press UK: More than fifty Palestinians are left for dead and hundreds injured Monday, the 14th May 2018, as Israeli forces opened fire on protesters during the ceremony marking the official opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem.
The Red Cross, Amnesty International and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have a series of tweets on the gory incident.
Updated numbers from the Palestinian Ministry of Health show 52 people have been killed today in #Gaza, including 5 children under 18.
— AmnestyInternational (@amnesty) May 14, 2018
As human toll in #Gaza is rising, first responders risk their lives to evacuate the wounded. A @PalestineRCS volunteer was wounded today and a Civil Defense paramedic lost his life. Medical personnel must be able to work safely. It is a matter of life and death.
— ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) May 14, 2018
In addition, earlier today, an IDF aircraft & tank targeted two additional Hamas positions in northern Gaza. These strikes were conducted in response to Hamas’s firing on IDF troops in northern Gaza pic.twitter.com/WeJHn2ZHdb
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 14, 2018
UN Denounce Killings
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is “profoundly alarmed” by violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the scores of Palestinians killed and injured. In a statement Monday, the Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said:
“The Secretary-General is profoundly alarmed by the sharp escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the high number of Palestinians killed and injured in the Gaza protests. Israel security forces must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire. Hamas and the leaders of the demonstrations have a responsibility to prevent all violent actions and provocations… it is imperative that everyone show the utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life… Humanitarian funding and improved access is urgently needed to meet these and other existing or emerging needs. The ongoing violence underscores the urgent need for a political solution. The Secretary-General reiterates that there is no viable alternative to the two-state solution, with Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace, each with its capital in Jerusalem.”
U.S. Embassy (Jerusalem) Really Nice – Trump
In a recorded video released today, President Donald Trump said:
“Exactly 70 years ago the United States under Harry Truman became the first nation to recognize the State of Israel. Today, we officially open the United States embassy in Jerusalem. Congratulations. It’s been a long time coming.” (Trump: 14 May 2018)
How It Happened
It was on 6th December 2017 that the U.S. President, Donald Trump, in a statement ‘Presidential Proclamation Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem’ proclaimed Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.
UN Effort To Stop U.S. Embassy (Jerusalem) Wasn’t Good Enough
The United Nations General Assembly moved against U.S decision, and adopted a Resolution affirming that the status of Jerusalem remains “a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN resolutions,” thereby vehemently disputing the United States unilateral proclamation of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. When the issue was put to vote, 128 voted in favour of the Resolution, 9 disagreed with the Resolution. There were 35 abstentions. The General Assembly is made of 193 members though.
“… resolution demanded that “all States comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not recognize any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions. The General Assembly further affirmed that “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council. In that regard the Assembly also called upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem, pursuant to Security Council resolution 478 adopted in 1980.” (UN News Centre: 21 Dec. 2017)
