Gazans mourn, call for revenge
Gazans buried their dead yesterday 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.
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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.
"Where are you, Arabs? Where are you, Muslims?" mourners chanted at one funeral, calling on the Arab and Muslim world to intervene.
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.
The Israeli military says it opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers.
Palestinians accused Israel of using disproportionate force, while human rights groups questioned Israel's use of live fire.
A senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Friday that the situation in Gaza "might deteriorate in the coming days" and called for civilians, particularly children, to not be targeted.
"Israel must uphold its responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law. Lethal force should only be used as a last resort with any resulting fatalities properly investigated by the authorities," UN deputy political affairs chief Taye-Brook Zerihoun said.
Unverified videos were being shared online, including one appearing to show a protester being shot while running with a tyre.
UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an "independent and transparent investigation."
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.
No casualties were reported among Israelis.
The six-week protest is in support of Palestinian refugees and the timetable holds significance for a range of reasons that have added to tensions.
Protests will continue until the United States opens its new Jerusalem embassy around May 14, a move that has provoked deep anger among the Palestinians, who see the city's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state.
May 14 will also mark 70 years since the creation of Israel, while Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or "catastrophe," the following day.
Israel's arch-foe Iran condemned the "shameful" killing of protesters and mocked the fact that it happened as Israeli Jews prepared to mark Passover. Turkey also condemned the excessive use of force.
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