Palestinian Protests Continue for Second Day

According to Palestinian news sources, the death toll from the protests that began on Friday, April 10, along the borders of the Gaza Strip with Israel has reached 17 dead and over 1,400 injured. This protest, known as the 'March of Return', entered its second day on Saturday. The deployment of Israeli tanks and snipers to counter potential 'infiltration by Palestinians from the border barriers' also continued on Saturday in various border areas around Gaza. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Arab citizens of Israel, hold demonstrations every year on March 30 to commemorate the bloody protests of 1976, known as 'Land Day'. However, Hamas and other Palestinian groups have long called for this year's events to continue for six weeks in honor of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel and the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem. Reports indicate that over thirty thousand Palestinians participated in the first day of this protest, with hundreds spending the night near the borders. Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas's political bureau, and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader in Palestinian territories, were present among the Palestinians on the first day of the protests and gave speeches. The Israeli army, which had previously emphasized that it would not tolerate any 'provocation' around the border barrier, responded on Friday with sniper and tank fire, as well as drone use, against demonstrators who were throwing stones at the border barrier and Israeli forces. The Israeli army labeled four of the deceased on Friday as 'terrorists', claiming they were attempting to 'sabotage' in northern Gaza. Gaza hospital sources confirmed that the four deceased had fired at Israeli forces; additionally, a Palestinian man was killed early Friday before the protests began by Israeli tank fire in Khan Younis. Colonel Ronen Manlis, spokesman for the Israeli army, stated: 'The Palestinians killed by live ammunition were aged 18 to 30, and two of them were members of important military units of Hamas.' Palestinian hospital sources report that 758 of the injured were wounded by live ammunition; 148 were injured by plastic bullets; 422 were injured due to inhalation of tear gas and smoke bombs, and 88 others were injured due to other factors during the protests. Meanwhile, Palestinians are preparing to hold funeral ceremonies for the deceased from the previous day, and the Palestinian Authority has declared Saturday a 'day of mourning'. Concurrently, businesses in many West Bank cities were closed on Saturday in a show of strike. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, stated in a statement on Friday evening that Israel bears 'full responsibility' for the consequences of 'aggression and invasion', emphasizing that 'the international community must intervene and protect the Palestinian people'. The United Nations Security Council expressed concern on Friday evening during a meeting requested by Kuwait, the council's rotating president, regarding the events at the Gaza border and the prospect of escalating this crisis, but the meeting did not result in a joint statement. On the other hand, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, called for a transparent and independent investigation into the events of Friday by a committee. Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, who has returned to his country, criticized the convening of the Security Council meeting as occurring 'simultaneously with Passover', which prevented his attendance, stating that 'the Palestinians have turned the UN into a stage for their lies'. Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the US State Department, also called on the international community to take steps to improve the lives of Palestinians. Jason Greenblatt, the US special representative for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, had previously described Hamas as responsible for planning a 'provocative' protest. Mohammad Momani, spokesman for the Jordanian government, held Israel accountable for the 'deterioration' of the situation, stating that Israel has used military force beyond what is proportionate, urging the international community to pressure Israel. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, also described Israel's behavior as 'brutal'. The governments of Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey have also condemned Israel for the events of Friday. Human Rights Watch termed the high number of deaths and injuries on the first day of Palestinian protests as 'shocking'. Amnesty International had also called on Israel to exercise restraint before the protests began. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, tweeted on Saturday: 'Right on the night of Passover... the oppressive Zionists are shedding the blood of Palestinians in a peaceful protest.' Additionally, according to Iranian media, Bahram Qasemi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, 'strongly condemned the massacre of Palestinians' and attributed the 'emboldening' of Israeli leaders in this crisis to Saudi Arabia. Iran's reaction comes as Zachi Hanegbi, Israel's minister for regional cooperation, stated on Thursday that Hamas, after re-establishing ties with Iran, has been planning to 'reignite the situation' with 'guidance' from Tehran. In this context, the UN Secretary-General called for an independent investigation into the Gaza incident, where a large number of Palestinians were killed and injured during the protests. Israeli officials issued warnings ahead of the 'March of Return' by Palestinians. The US threatened to withdraw from the Human Rights Council following the adoption of five resolutions against Israel.