The Guardian: UN Human Rights Body Meets on Gaza

The UN’s human rights council held a special meeting in the wake of mass killings by Israeli troops at border protests on May 14, the same day that the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. As of May 16, 60 Palestinians had been killed. The Palestinian foreign ministry has recalled its ambassadors to Romania, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic – four nations that broke with European Union policy by attending the embassy’s opening ceremony. Amal Jadou, a Palestinian foreign ministry official, noted: “We highly value our relations with all EU member states. Those relations are based on the commitment to international law, UN resolutions and human rights. Therefore, we consider the participation in this event a contradiction to such values.” The embassy move also prompted a contentious diplomatic exchange between Israel and Turkey, which ended with the expulsion of Israel’s consul general and ambassador from Istanbul. As Peter Beaumont observes for the Guardian, “More than 100 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began on 30 March, drawing international accusations that Israel is using excessive force. Israel says it is rightfully defending its sovereign border.” –YaleGlobal