UN calls for investigation into Gaza violence

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for an independent and transparent investigation into the violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters in Gaza.

Sixteen protesters were killed and more than 1,500 were wounded on Friday by Israeli forces in a major demonstration.

Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip flocked to the border with Israel on Friday to mark the 42nd anniversary of Land Day, confirming their right to return to their towns and villages from where they were forced out in 1948.

Palestinian demonstrators on the east of Gaza City at the border with Israel, March 30, 2018. /CGTN Photo‍

"It is a huge massacre against our people which we condemn in the strongest terms and demand it to be stopped immediately. Those from the Israeli side who are responsible for this vicious attack against the civilian population should be brought to justice," said Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations.

Any act possibly leading to further casualties or any measures which could harm civilians should be refrained, said Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq in a statement.

The International Coordinating Committee of the “Great Return March” announced that the events of the demonstration beginning March 30 until May 15, would take place in five different spots positioned along the coastal territory’s border with Israel.

Despite organizers calling for the march to be peaceful, Israeli forces used excessive force against the protesters.

This tragedy underlines the urgency of revitalizing the peace process aimed at creating the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations for a solution that will allow Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side peacefully and in security, said the UN chief.

(With input from Xinhua)