Palestine-Gaza clash: Israel rejects calls for independent probe

Jerusalem, [Israel] April 1 (ANI): Israel on Sunday rejected the calls for an independent probe by the United Nations Security Council in the Friday's Palestine-Gaza clashes during Gaza's Great March of Return that left 16 Palestinians dead and multiple wounded.

Israel's ministry has been condemned for its use of live fire on Gaza militants in the clashes that are termed as the bloodiest conflict since the beginning of the Israel-Palestinian clash in 2014 as reported by the Arab News.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today showered praises on the Israeli troops while thanking them for "guarding the country's troops' and allowing "Israeli citizens to celebrate the [Passover] holiday peacefully".

Further Israel Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a "Woodstock festival".

Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical.

Earlier on Saturday United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation into the incident.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called for an emergent meeting on Friday evening to discuss the bloodiest conflict in as reported by The Guardian.

Guterres wants "an independent and transparent investigation" into the violence, spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The Palestinian ambassador, Riyad Mansour, also expressed his disappointment over the actions by the Security Council while terming the incident to be 'heinous massacre' of peaceful protestors.

He said the Palestinians "expect the security council to shoulder its responsibility" and "defuse this volatile situation, which clearly constitutes a threat to international peace and security".

Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp 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 from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted.

On March 31 a slew of Palestinian protesters marched in Gaza along the fence in what is being labelled as the Great March of Return. They were reportedly attacked by the Israeli army during their march. (ANI)