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Unbelievable photos show how chaotic the protests in Gaza are over the new US embassy in Jerusalem
Unbelievable photos show how chaotic the protests in Gaza are over the new US embassy in Jerusalem
John HaltiwangerMay 14, 2018, 23:53 IST
A woman holds a Palestinian flag as a protester burns tires near the Israeli border fence, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Monday, May 14, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza's border with Israel, as Israel prepared for the festive inauguration of a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.AP Photo/Adel Hana
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The opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem sparked violent protests in both Gaza and the West Bank on Monday, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead and wounding thousands.
President Donald Trump announced his decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in late 2017, effectively recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Most of the international community condemned the move, and there was widespread concern that his decision would spark violence in the region. Those fears were realized on Monday as Palestinian demonstrators angry over the opening of the US embassy clashed with Israeli forces.
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These images capture the chaos surrounding the controversial opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.
Editor's Note: Some of the photos are graphic or disturbing.
The day the new US embassy opened in Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinian protesters demonstrated in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israeli forces were there to contain them.
Men, women, and children joined the demonstrations.
By Monday afternoon, Israeli forces had killed at least 52 Palestinians and wounded thousands more.
Israeli troops used sound grenades, released tear gas, and fired live rounds against the demonstrators.
Some of the Palestinian protesters hurled stones and other objects at Israeli troops, but many demonstrated peacefully.
Youssef Mahmoud, spokesman for the Palestinian authority, called for the international community to step in stop the "horrific massacre committed by the Israeli Occupational forces against our heroic people."
Tuesday marks the 70th anniversary of Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes after the state of Israel declared its independence and a war began.
Many Palestinians have taken offense to the US moving its embassy the day before Nakba, which they see as adding insult to injury.
Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has been widely condemned across the international community, which feared the decision would spark violence in the region.
Those fears were realized on Monday.
Meanwhile, in remarks marking the opening of the new embassy, White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner condemned the violence on display.
"As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today, those provoking violence are part of the problem, and not part of the solution," Kushner said.
Despite Monday's violence and ongoing concern from the international community, Trump celebrated the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem, tweeting, "Big day for Israel. Congratulations!"
Demonstrations against Trump's decision to move the embassy have been occurring for weeks.
Human rights groups have expressed a great deal of concern over what's happening in Gaza.
Amnesty International described the situation as an "abhorrent violation of international law and human rights."
Some US politicians, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have celebrated Trump's decision to move the embassy.
But others, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have focused more on Israel's response to the demonstrations.
On Monday, Sanders tweeted, "Hamas violence does not justify Israel firing on unarmed protesters."
The clashes are likely to continue Monday night and get worse on Tuesday.
As the demonstrations have escalated, the death toll continues to rise.
