U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday blocked a call for an international investigation into Israel’s tactics in clashes with Gaza protesters, and blamed Iran and terrorist proxies for causing the violence.
“In recent days, Hamas terrorists, backed by Iran, have incited attacks against Israeli security forces and infrastructure,” Haley told the U.N. Security Council during a Tuesday session. “There is far too little discussion in the Security Council on Iran’s destabilizing presence in Syria, its promotion of violence in Yemen, its support for terrorism in Gaza, and its dangerous and illegal weapons buildup in Lebanon.”
Trump and Israeli officials drew widespread condemnation on Monday, as thousands of Palestinians protested the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the ensuing clashes.
A proposed U.N. statement from Kuwait offered on Tuesday called for an investigation to decide if the Israeli Defense Forces violated international bans on “willful killing and willfully causing great suffering,” but Haley praised their tactics and blamed Hamas, and blocked it from consideration as she did so.
“Hamas maps and social media show the fastest routes to reach Israeli communities in case demonstrators make it through the security fence,” she said, citing media reports. “They have reported on Hamas messages over loudspeakers that urge demonstrators to burst through the fence, falsely claiming Israeli soldiers were fleeing, when in fact, they were not.”
Haley then walked out of the chamber before the Palestinian representative to the council gave his remarks. “We condemn in the strongest terms this odious massacre committed by Israel occupation forces,” Ambassador Riyad Mansour said.
Other western powers have been more sympathetic to the Palestinian position, particularly French President Emmanuel Macron.
“[Macron] lamented the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza today and over the past few weeks,” the French presidency said Monday, in a readout of his calls to regional leaders. “He condemned the violence of Israeli armed forces against demonstrators.”
Israeli forces accused Hamas of using the protests to stage attacks against the border fence between Israel and Gaza.
“[T]he IDF received intelligence that Hamas operatives were preparing to cross through the security fence from northern Gaza,” an IDF spokesperson tweeted. “The [IDF] used riot dispersal means to distance the terrorists from the fence, & the terrorists fired at the soldiers. The soldiers responded with targeted fire, thwarting a significant shooting attack.”
Haley praised the Israeli forces’ performance through the protests. “I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border?” she said. “No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has. In fact, the records of several countries here today suggest they would be much less restrained.”
