Gaza border protests resume as UN calls for inquiry

Palestinians resumed their fiery protests at Gaza's border with Israel on Friday as a U.N. human rights body criticized Israel for the "disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force" that killed at least 59 Palestinians earlier this week. Israel condemned the resolution by the U.N. Human Rights Council as biased.

A teargas canister fired by Israeli troops falls over Palestinian protesters at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Friday's Gaza protests — the eighth in as many weeks — drew Israeli gunfire and tear gas, with at least 23 people wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said.

Egypt, meanwhile, said it has opened its Rafah border crossing with Gaza for the entire Muslim holy month of Ramadan in an apparent effort to ease the crisis in the impoverished, densely populated territory.

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli troops as others take a cover in a hole during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A protester hurls stones at Israeli troops as another holds a Palestinian flag during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Organizers of the protests say they are meant in large part to break the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt and to pressure Israel to ease its restrictions. Since the demonstrations began March 30, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,500 wounded by live fire, according to the Health Ministry. Palestinian officials say most of the casualties have been unarmed protesters. One Israeli soldier has been wounded.

The weekly protests peaked Monday when about 40,000 Gazans descended on the border. As in previous demonstrations, the protesters burned tires and hurled firebombs and stones toward Israeli troops, and tried to attack the border fence. Israeli snipers opened fire in response, killing 59 Palestinians and wounding hundreds in the deadliest day of cross-border violence in Gaza since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.

Tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops fall over Palestinian protesters during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Friday's protests began later than in recent weeks and drew a smaller turnout, apparently due to the Ramadan fast. Most of participants gathered in tent camps a safe distance from the border, but dozens still got close to the fence.

Earlier in the day, several injured Gaza residents with Jordanian citizenship, along with their relatives, were taken to Jordan for medical treatment at the request of the king of Jordan, the Israeli military said. The military did not say when they were wounded.

In Geneva, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the Israeli actions.

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian protesters burn tires near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Meeting in a special session, the council voted 29-2 with 14 abstentions to back a resolution that also condemned "the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians."

The "independent, international commission of inquiry" mandated by the council will be asked to produce a final report in March 2019.

A Palestinian protester carries a tire to burn near the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli troops after they burn tires along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein backed calls for an international inquiry and questioned Israel's assertion that its security forces tried to minimize casualties.

"There is little evidence of any attempt to minimize casualties on Monday," he said.

Some demonstrators threw firebombs, used slingshots, flew burning kites into Israel to set fields ablaze and tried to use wire-cutters on the border fences, but "these actions alone do not appear to constitute the imminent threat to life or deadly injury which could justify the use of lethal force," said Zeid, a Jordanian prince.

Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli troops after burning tires along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester burns tires near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the resolution, which was put forward by countries including Pakistan, as "nothing new under the sun."

"An organization that calls itself the Human Rights Council once again proves that it is hypocritical and biased and that its purpose is to harm Israel and support terror. But mostly it has proven that it is irrelevant," Netanyahu said.

Palestinian protesters burn tires near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian protesters run for cover from teargas fired by Israeli forces near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

"Israel completely rejects the resolution that was adopted by an automatic anti-Israel majority whose results were known from the start," he said. "Israel will continue to defend its citizens and soldiers as it has the right to defend itself."

Israeli ambassador Aviva Raz Schechter said "the unfortunate outcome of Monday's riots can only be attributed to Hamas' cynical exploitation of its own population in a violent campaign against Israel."

Palestinian protesters burn tires near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester burns tires near the fence at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during a protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement that "the U.N.'s so-called Human Rights Council has decided to launch an investigation into a democratic country's legitimate defense of its own border against terrorist attacks. It is another shameful day for human rights."

In an apparent attempt to ease the crisis, Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi announced the opening of the Rafah crossing on Thursday night for what would be the longest uninterrupted period since 2013. He wrote on his official Twitter account that it would "alleviate the burdens of the brothers in the Gaza Strip."

Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli troops after they burned tires along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, during protest on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, May 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Egypt and Israel have imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, heavily restricting movement in and out of the densely populated and impoverished territory.

Over the years, Egypt has opened the crossing for a few days every two to three months, the only way for most Gazans to reach the outside world.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the opening was the result of talks Sunday in Cairo with Egyptian officials.

"We are witnessing the outcome through steps Egypt has taken, and we hope they continue, develop and increase," he said at a Friday prayer sermon in Gaza City. But he added that the weekly Hamas-led protests will continue.

The crossing has been open since May 12, so el-Sissi's announcement was technically an extension. Egyptian authorities said 510 people crossed Wednesday, with most going from Gaza to Egypt. On Thursday, 541 people passed into Gaza along with dozens of trucks carrying cement, steel, power engines and medical and food aid from the Red Crescent, the officials said.

Last month, Hamas' Interior Ministry said more than 20,000 people were on waiting lists to exit. An average of 500 travelers a day moved through the border this week, mostly leaving.

The Rafah crossing has only been open sporadically since the 2013 ouster of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a high-ranking member of Hamas' parent group, The Muslim Brotherhood. While Egypt has been struggling with an Islamic insurgency for decades, militant attacks increased after Morsi's ouster, leading Egyptian authorities to tighten movement to and from Gaza.

Travel through Rafah has mostly been restricted to humanitarian cases, with priority given to medical patients, students admitted to outside universities and Palestinians with residency permits in third countries about to expire. Palestinian-Egyptians and dual nationals are also eligible to apply.

Travelers moved slowly toward the border Friday. A bus arrived about every hour with people whose names appeared on lists provided by Hamas officials.

Hamas forcibly wrested control of Gaza in 2007 after winning legislative elections, triggering the Israeli-Egyptian blockade that has severely restricted the movement of most of Gaza's 2 million inhabitants.

After more than a decade of Hamas rule, conditions for most inhabitants are dire. Unemployment is over 40 percent, tap water is undrinkable and Gazans receive only a few hours of electricity a day. Hospitals face constant shortages from the blockade, and parts of the territory are still waiting to be rebuilt after a 2014 war with Israel. 

The measures were meant to create a buffer zone as part of Egypt's efforts to purge northeastern Sinai of Islamic militants following the 2014 bombings by an Islamic State group affiliate that killed dozens of soldiers.

Egypt imposed a state of emergency and curfew in northeastern Sinai, including Rafah, which means travelers arriving at the crossing after 7 p.m. must wait until the next morning to leave.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.

After signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas militants attacked it. The defense minister claimed Hamas wasn't serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza."

Israel didn't send a delegation to the talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement."

Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation left Cairo for discussions in Qatar and will return to the Egyptian capital for further negotiations on Tuesday.

Another threat to talks came as Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network to close, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban did not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the key Hamas demands “extreme” — including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the fighting, Netanyahu said.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.

But Israel's government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

The attack came shortly after the head of the U.N. World Food Program asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory. The comments were not a formal famine declaration.

In expanded remarks as the full NBC interview was released Sunday, WFP chief Cindy McCain said famine was “moving its way south” in Gaza and that Israel's efforts to allow in more aid were not enough. “We need more ability to be able to get more trucks in,” she said. “We have right now a mass on the outside border, about enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We need to get that in.”

Gaza's vast humanitarian needs put further pressure on the pursuit of a cease-fire. The proposal that Egyptian mediators had put to Hamas sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack, and would include some sort of Israeli pullout. The initial stage would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but said it "will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved.” That includes the stated aim of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the U.S. and others about the danger to civilians.

An Israeli strike Sunday on the al-Attar family house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital.

In later remarks for Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu added: "We will defend ourselves in every way. We will overcome our enemies and we will ensure our security — in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere.”

The Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Netanyahu is under growing pressure from some hostages' families to make a deal to end the war and get hostages freed.

Israeli's air and ground offensive has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't differentiate between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up a majority of those killed.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of embedding in residential and public areas. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Jack Jeffery in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

An Israeli soldier walks past a line of tanks at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers jump off a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers directs a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers work on a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers drive a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers drive a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Yemeni students carry anti-Israel and anti-U.S. banners during a march organized by Houthis, to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, May 5, 2024. The Arabic reads, "God is great, Death to Israel, Death to America". (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure

In this image provided by the U.S. Army, soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors attached to the MV Roy P. Benavidez assemble the Roll-On, Roll-Off Distribution Facility (RRDF), or floating pier, off the shore of Gaza on April 26, 2024. The U.S. expects to have on-the-ground arrangements in Gaza ready for humanitarian workers to start delivering aid this month via a new U.S.-backed sea route for Gaza aid. An official with the U.S. Agency for International Development tells the AP that humanitarian groups expect to have their part of preparations complete by early to mid-month. (U.S. Army via AP)

Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure