GAZA CITY: Israeli troops fired warning shots towards Palestinian youths gathered at the Gaza-Israel border on Saturday, wounding 35 people, health officials said.
Tension remained high in the area a day after deadly violence broke out in one of the biggest Palestinian demonstrations there in years.
Gazans buried their dead on Saturday with calls for “revenge” a day after a major demonstration led to clashes that saw Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in the bloodiest day since a 2014 war.
But while anger seethed over Friday’s events, only several hundred protesters had returned to tents erected at different sites near the Gaza Strip’s border with Israel by mid-afternoon to resume demonstrations planned to last six weeks in the blockaded enclave.
Thousands attended funerals for 14 of those killed — two were buried on Friday -with mourners holding Palestinian flags and some chanting “revenge” and firing into the air.
A general strike was also being held in both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Minor clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians broke out in Hebron, while a small protest was held in Nablus, both in the West Bank.
Israel defended its soldiers’ actions on Friday, when troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from the main tent city protest — attended by tens of thousands — and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military says it opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tires at soldiers.
It also said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was an attempted shooting attack against soldiers along the border that caused no casualties.
Palestinians accused Israel of using disproportionate force, while human rights groups questioned Israel’s use of live fire.
Unverified videos were being shared online, including one appearing to show a protester being shot while running with a tyre.
In addition to the 16 killed, more than 1,400 were wounded, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, according to the Gazan health ministry.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas declared Saturday a day of national mourning and in a speech said he held Israel fully responsible for the deaths.
His spokesman on Saturday called on the United States at the UN Security Council to not provide “cover for Israel to continue its aggression against the Palestinian people.”
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Gazans bury their dead after bloody clashes, West Bank closes to mourn
Gazans bury their dead after bloody clashes, West Bank closes to mourn
EU designates Iran's Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as ‘terrorist organization’
BRUSSELS: The European Union agreed Thursday to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a “terrorist organization” over a deadly crackdown on mass protests, sending a powerful message of condemnation to Tehran.
“This was long overdue,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after foreign ministers from the bloc took the decision.
“’Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood.”
Though largely symbolic, the EU move has already drawn a warning from Tehran it would have “destructive consequences.”
The 27-nation bloc meanwhile also adopted visa bans and asset freezes on 21 state entities and Iranian officials — including the interior minister, prosecutor general and regional IRGC commanders — over the repression.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of over 3,000 people, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by “rioters.”
Rights groups say the toll is far higher, potentially in the tens of thousands, and note that protesters were killed by security forces including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) directly firing on them.
France, Italy shift
The IRGC is the ideological arm of Tehran’s military and was created after the 1979 revolution to protect the clerical leadership. The Guards control or own companies across the Iranian economy, including major strategic sectors.
“The estimate is that still the diplomatic channels will remain open even after the listing of the Revolutionary Guards,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said earlier Thursday.
The EU action against the IRGC comes after France announced Wednesday it backed the move, following a similar shift from Italy.
Hailed by Iran’s arch-foe Israel as a “historic decision,” the step matches similar classification enacted by the United States, Canada and Australia.
Paris had widely been seen as reluctant to act against the IRGC due to fears over the impact on Europeans detained in the country and a wish to keep diplomatic ties open.
“There can be no impunity for the crimes committed,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters on arrival in Brussels.
“This decision is also an appeal by France to the Iranian authorities to release the prisoners thrown by thousands into the regime’s prisons, to end the executions that are perpetuating the most violent repression in Iran’s modern history,” he said.
Barrot urged Tehran to end an Internet blackout and “give back to the Iranian people the capacity to choose their own future.”
The EU has already sanctioned several hundred Iranian officials and entities over crackdowns on previous protest movements and over Tehran’s support for Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The IRGC as a whole and senior commanders are already under EU sanctions, meaning that adding them to the terror blacklist is expected to have little practical impact on the organization.
“This was long overdue,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after foreign ministers from the bloc took the decision.
“’Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood.”
Though largely symbolic, the EU move has already drawn a warning from Tehran it would have “destructive consequences.”
The 27-nation bloc meanwhile also adopted visa bans and asset freezes on 21 state entities and Iranian officials — including the interior minister, prosecutor general and regional IRGC commanders — over the repression.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of over 3,000 people, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by “rioters.”
Rights groups say the toll is far higher, potentially in the tens of thousands, and note that protesters were killed by security forces including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) directly firing on them.
France, Italy shift
The IRGC is the ideological arm of Tehran’s military and was created after the 1979 revolution to protect the clerical leadership. The Guards control or own companies across the Iranian economy, including major strategic sectors.
“The estimate is that still the diplomatic channels will remain open even after the listing of the Revolutionary Guards,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said earlier Thursday.
The EU action against the IRGC comes after France announced Wednesday it backed the move, following a similar shift from Italy.
Hailed by Iran’s arch-foe Israel as a “historic decision,” the step matches similar classification enacted by the United States, Canada and Australia.
Paris had widely been seen as reluctant to act against the IRGC due to fears over the impact on Europeans detained in the country and a wish to keep diplomatic ties open.
“There can be no impunity for the crimes committed,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters on arrival in Brussels.
“This decision is also an appeal by France to the Iranian authorities to release the prisoners thrown by thousands into the regime’s prisons, to end the executions that are perpetuating the most violent repression in Iran’s modern history,” he said.
Barrot urged Tehran to end an Internet blackout and “give back to the Iranian people the capacity to choose their own future.”
The EU has already sanctioned several hundred Iranian officials and entities over crackdowns on previous protest movements and over Tehran’s support for Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The IRGC as a whole and senior commanders are already under EU sanctions, meaning that adding them to the terror blacklist is expected to have little practical impact on the organization.
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