(Image source from: indianexpress.com)

In a striking protest by Palestinians, Israeli forces have killed 58 Palestinians, most of them were fired and over 2,700 people got injured, said Health officials.

Palestinians observed a strike on Tuesday to mourn and pay tributes to dozens killed by Israeli troops in a mass protest on the Gaza border, the single deadliest day there since a 2014 war.

In a protest made on Monday, Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians, most by gunfire, and injured more than 2,700, Gaza health officials said. In jarring contrast, the U.S. held a festive inauguration ceremony for a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem just a few miles away.

The juxtaposition of bloodshed on the Gaza border and festivities attended by a high-powered Trump administration delegation - captured on split screens in TV broadcasts around the world  briefly drew attention to the plight of Gaza and its 2 million people.

The high casualty toll also revived international criticism of Israel’s use of lethal force against unarmed protesters. At the same time, the opening of the embassy, condemned by Palestinians as blatantly pro-Israel, further dimmed prospects of what President Donald Trump had once touted as plans to negotiate the Mideast “deal of the century.” The U.N. Security Council planned to meet Tuesday to discuss the violence, though it was not clear what might come out of the session.

Two UN diplomats said members couldn’t reach unanimous agreement on issuing a proposed statement, circulated by Kuwait, that would have expressed “outrage and sorrow” over the killings and sought an independent investigation. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were supposed to be private.

For Hamas, the Islamic militant group that seized Gaza in 2007.

Monday’s border protest was the culmination of a weeks-long campaign to try to break the blockade. The group led weekly protests near the border with Israel since late March as part of this push.

By Lokesh