UN secretary general calls for an independent investigation into Gaza clashes

At least 16 people have been killed by Israeli fire and hundreds more wounded during protests at the Gaza border, Palestinian officials say

An independent investigation into clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops in Gaza was called by the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.

Violent clashes left 16 people dead and more than 750 wounded after Palestinian protesters marched to Gaza’s border on Friday.

Security council members also urged restraint on both sides after an emergency meeting failed to produce a joint message or course of action.

The clash was described as a “heinous massacre” of peaceful protestors by Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour, who said he was disappointed the security council did not condemn it.

Palestinians “expect the security council to shoulder its responsibility” and “defuse this volatile situation, which clearly constitutes a threat to international security,” Mansour said.

Conversely, Israeli ambassador Danny Danon said that the protest as a “well-organised and violent terror-gathering” masked as a peaceful protest.

“The Palestinians sunk to a new deceitful low so that they could use the UN to spread lies about Israel,” he said.