Qatar condemns 'brutal massacre' of Palestine protesters

Qatar condemns 'brutal massacre' of Palestine protesters
Qatar has strongly condemned the 'brutal massacre' of at least 59 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces in the bloodiest day since a 2014 war.
2 min read
15 May, 2018
Palestinians on Tuesday will mark the Nakba, or "catastrophe" [Getty]

Qatar has strongly condemned the "brutal massacre" of at least 59 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces on Monday - the bloodiest day for the besieged territory since the 2014 war.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson made the condemnation in a statement on Monday, carried by the state-run Qatar News Agency.

"Qatar has expressed in the strongest terms its condemnation of the brutal massacre and systematic killing committed by the Israeli occupation forces against unarmed Palestinians," Lolwah al-Khater said.

"Qatar calls on all international and regional powers that have a voice in Israel to act immediately to stop the brutal killing machine," she added.

Fresh protests are expected on Tuesday a day after Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians in protests along the Gaza border against the US embassy opening in Jerusalem.

Palestinians on Tuesday will mark al-Nakba - or "the catastrophe" - commemorating the more than 700,000 Palestinians who were expelled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

It comes a day after the US transferred its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem, in a move that infuriated Palestinians and the wider international community.

Most of the 59 Gazans killed on Monday were shot by Israeli snipers, Gaza's health ministry said. At least 2,400 others were wounded.

The massacre has been widely condemned by the international community and human rights groups.

At least 113 Palestinians have been killed in a campaign of protests along the Gaza border since 30 March, the vast majority by Israeli snipers.

No Israelis have been killed and only one soldier has been reported wounded during that time.