“I call on all UN officials to condemn Hamas for encouraging violence, promoting instability and for the despicable act of exploiting women and children by placing them in harm’s way,” Danon said.
By: United with Israel Staff
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Danny Danon on Friday reacted to the latest violent riots by Palestinians along the security fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel and called on the world body to condemn Hamas for encouraging violence in the area.
During the riots, in which approximately 10,000 Palestinians participated, the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, headed by Hamas, continued to use civilians, including youth and children, as a disguise for different terror acts. Four Palestinians, including a teen, were shot and killed by IDF fire from across the border fence.
“Hamas is continuing to instigate violence against Israel as rioters today used firebombs and other means in attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate our sovereign territory,” Danon stated.
“I call on all UN officials to condemn Hamas for encouraging violence, promoting instability and for the despicable act of exploiting women and children by placing them in harm’s way,” he demanded.
The IDF posted a photo showing one of the methods used by Hamas to carry out terror attacks and destroy security infrastructure under the cover of the smoke and riots. A squad of terrorists that includes young boys is seen burning the security infrastructure, as another squad waits and pulls the security infrastructure that was ignited.
Once the security infrastructure is uprooted, an infiltration into Israel is possible as well as other terror attacks within Israeli territory, the IDF noted.
During the riots, burning tires were used to create smokescreens in order to mask attempts to damage the protective infrastructures, rocks were hurled at IDF troops, and kites with burning items attached to them were flown, with the intention of igniting fires in Israeli territory.
At one point, a Hamas terrorist sent a Molotov cocktail tied to a kite over the Gaza border into Israel. The kite had a large Swastika painted on it. “They flew it with their true colors,” said IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus.
Prior to the riots, the IDF distributed leaflets warning against approaching the fence. “However, the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to exploit civilians, including many youth and children, while putting them in unnecessary danger,” the IDF stated.
“The IDF will not allow the security infrastructure to be breached, and will act in order to fulfill its duty to protect the civilians and sovereignty of the State of Israel,” the IDF added.
Hamas Leaders Are the ‘Only Culprits’
Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Saturday that Hamas is fully responsible for continued bloodshed on the Gaza border.
Liberman tweeted that “the only culprits in the death of the … boy in Gaza are Hamas leaders.”
He said they are “cowardly leaders who hide behind women and children and send them forward as a human shield, so that they can continue to dig tunnels and carry out terrorist actions against” Israel.
The IDF said Saturday that all reports of fatal shootings by Israeli soldiers, including that of the teen “are thoroughly checked by the relevant command echelons” and examined by a fact-finding “assessment mechanism,” with the findings transferred to the military advocate general.
These latest incidents came amid the daily violence on the Israel-Gaza border, orchestrated by Hamas, the Islamic terror group that rules the Strip and calls for Israel’s destruction.
Hamas has organized a series of protests at the border under the “March of Return” banner, which the terrorist group says will continue until May 15, the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, which the Palestinians observe as Nakba Day, meaning Day of Catastrophe.
Some 30 Palestinians, mostly terrorists, have been killed in over two weeks of clashes on the Gaza border.
(AP contributed to this report)