US Officials: Israel Preparing For War With Iran, Seeking US Support

Ominously, the officials said Israel appears to be preparing for open warfare with Iran and is seeking U.S. help and support

Zero Hedge - May 2, 2018

Not that there was much doubt who was behind it, but two days after “enemy” warplanes attacked a Syrian military base near Hama on Sunday, killing at least 11 Iranians and dozens of others, and nobody had yet “claimed responsibility” the attack, US officials told NBC that it was indeed Israeli F-15 fighter jets that struck the base, NBC News reported.

Wow! Video of a huge explosion just now in #Salhab in #Hama, reasons still unknown pic.twitter.com/AfWYRAzosT

— Danny Makki (@Dannymakkisyria) April 29, 2018

Ominously, the officials said Israel appears to be preparing for open warfare with Iran and is seeking U.S. help and support.

“On the list of the potentials for most likely live hostility around the world, the battle between Israel and Iran in Syria is at the top of the list right now,” said one senior U.S. official.
Fire and explosions are seen in the countryside south of Hama city, Syria, April 29, 2018

The US officials told NBC that Israeli F-15s hit Hama after Iran delivered weapons to a base that houses Iran’s 47th Brigade, including surface-to-air missiles. In addition to killing two dozen troops, including officers, the strike wounded three dozen others. The report adds that the U.S. officials believe the shipments were intended for Iranian ground forces that would attack Israel.

[img]https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/def...images/syria%20strikes.jpg?itok=MQLF63x9[/img]

Meanwhile, as we reported yesterday, the Syrian army said early on Monday that “enemy” rockets struck military bases belonging to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. According to several outlets, the strikes targeted the 47th Brigade base in the southern Hama district, a military facility in northwestern Hama and a facility north of the Aleppo International Airport.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday that Israel on Tuesday morning had four problems, one more than the day before: “Iran, Iran, Iran and hypocrisy.” The comment came one day after Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu “revealed” a cache of documents the Mossad stole from Iran detailing the country’s nuclear program, which however critics said were i) old and ii) not indicative of Iran’s current plans.

“This is the same Iran that cracks down on freedom of expression and on minorities. The same Iran that tried to develop nuclear weapons and entered the [nuclear] deal for economic benefits,” Lieberman said.

“The same Iran is trying to hide its weapons while everyone ignores it. The state of Israel cannot ignore Iran’s threats, Iran, whose senior officials promise to wipe out Israel,” he said. “They are trying to harm us, and we’ll have a response.

Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Khatami threatened Israel on Tuesday, saying it should stop its “dangerous behavior” and vowing that the “Iranian response will be surprising and you will regret it.” Khatami’s remarks came Following Netanyahu’s speech which Khatami described as Israeli “provocative actions,” and two days after the strikes in Syria.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a potential hint at the upcoming conflict, Haaretz writes that two and a half weeks after the bombing in which seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were killed at the T4 base in Syria, Israel is bracing for an Iranian retaliation for the Syrian strikes (and if one isn’t forthcoming, well that’s what false flags are for).

As Haaretz writes, the Iranians’ response, despite their frequent threats of revenge, is being postponed, screwing up Iran’s war planning. It’s also possible that as time passes, Tehran is becoming more aware of the possible complex consequences of any action. Still, the working assumption of Israeli defense officials remains that such a response is highly probable.

The Iranians appear to have many options. Revenge could come on the Syrian border, from the Lebanese border via Hezbollah, directly from Iran by the launch of long-range missiles, or against an Israeli target abroad. In past decades Iran and Hezbollah took part, separately and together, in two attacks in Argentina, a suicide attack in Bulgaria and attempts to strike at Israeli diplomats and tourists in countries including India, Thailand and Azerbaijan.

In any case, Lebanon seems all but out of bounds until the country’s May 6 parliamentary elections, and amid Hezbollah’s fear of being portrayed as an Iranian puppet. The firing of missiles from Iran would exacerbate the claims about Tehran’s missile project a moment before a possible U.S. decision on May 12 to abandon the nuclear agreement. Also, a strike at a target far from the Middle East would require long preparation.

* * *

For now, an Israeli war with Iran in Syria is far from inevitable: the clash of intentions is clear: Iran is establishing itself militarily in Syria and Israel has declared that it will prevent that by force. The question, of course, is whether this unstable equilibrium will devolve into a lethal escalation, or if it will somehow be resolved through peaceful negotiation. Unfortunately, in the context of recent events, and the upcoming breakdown of the Iran nuclear deal, the former is looking like the most likely outcome.

UN Secretary General: Scrapping Iran Deal Could Lead To ‘World War III’

‘Hitler tried to conquer Europe. But the supreme leader is trying to conquer the world,’ he says

Zero Hedge - May 5, 2018

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres offered a chilling message to the world during a recent interview with BBC Radio: The risk of “World War III” breaking out in the Middle East is intensifying at an alarming rate.

As we’ve previously speculated, the combatants in the conflict that Guterres envisions would be the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia on one side, aided by some of their allies in Western Europe, and China, Russia and Iran on the other. What’s worse, Guterres warned that the collapse of the Iran deal could be the catalyst for a military conflict that morphs into the next global confrontation.

Unless the agreement is preserved, the world will likely descend into chaos, he said.

“The risks are there. I think we need to do everything to avoid those risks.”

“I believe the JCPOA was an important diplomatic victory and it is important to preserve it. I also believe there are areas in which it would be very important to have a meaningful dialogue because I see the region in a very dangerous position.”

President Trump has the opportunity to avert this horrifying future, Gutteres said – all he would need to do is preserve the JCPOA until a better deal can be worked out. Perhaps the deal’s signatories could work out something similar to the “four-part” supplementary agreement outlined by Emmanuel Macron during a press conference with President Trump.

Gutteres added that while he understands concerns about Iranian influence and the country’s nuclear program, a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent presentation about Iran’s alleged attempts to conceal a nuclear weapons program, the Iran deal is an “important achievement” that should be preserved.

“I understand the concerns of some countries in relation the Iranian influence in other countries of the region. I think we should separate things. I think that this agreement is an important achievement. If one day there is a better agreement to replace, it’s fine, but we should not scrap it unless we have a good alternative.”

During his tour of the West last month, MbS expounded upon the dangers posed by Iran and even went so far as to compare Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Adolf Hitler.

“Hitler didn’t do what the supreme leader is trying to do. Hitler tried to conquer Europe. But the supreme leader is trying to conquer the world,” he said.

Of course, this hard-line stance hardly bodes well for world peace. While negotiations continue, it’s widely believed that President Trump will scrap the Iran deal on May 12 by refusing to renew the sanctions waivers – though he would then have a few options to continue with negotiations before the most draconian sanctions kick back in.

What the UN Secretary General is REALLY afraid of is that Trump is about to cut off the US teat he has been sucking on for so long!

I wonder how much infrastructure in the US could be rebuilt with what the UN sucks from the US treasury each year?

Israel Strikes Syrian Airbase Hours After Trump’s Announcement

Israel talked about base during April 26 UN meeting

Infowars.com - May 8, 2018

An Iranian military base in Syria was attacked on Tuesday, Fox News reported.

Israel Strikes Syrian Airbase Hours After Trump’s Announcement https://t.co/SuWz5h3xKr

— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) May 9, 2018

At least nine people died in the attack, Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Britain, told AFP. The report could not be independently confirmed by Fox News.

The military compound that was hit is located about 10 miles south of the Syrian capital city of Damascus, western military sources said.

Syrian TV reported that it was an Israeli airstrike and that Syrian air defense systems shot down two missiles.

Interestingly, on April 26, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon claimed that Iran was recruiting and training upwards of 80,000 Shiite fighters at a base near Damascus during a UN Security Council meeting.

The strike may have occurred on this base or a similar one nearby.

The Iranians also operate another installation, a major airbase, near the middle of the country which the Guardian reported as the trigger for conflict between Israel and Iran:

T-4’s remote location and Soviet-era fortifications have shielded it from much of the violence that has laid waste to Syria, though it bears the scars of a 2016 Islamic state artillery attack that obliterated four combat helicopters.

Today, the base is the focus of an emerging, potentially catastrophic war, fought not between the Syrian regime and its domestic foes, but two of the region’s most formidable enemies: Israel and Iran.

T-4 is where Iran has established a military foothold in its Arab ally. According to Israeli officials, Iranian drones used over Syria take off from the base.

US Intel Reportedly Suspects Iranian Forces Might Strike Israel Soon

“If there is an attack it might not be immediately clear it’s Iran.”

Sputnik - May 9, 2018

The Israeli Defense Forces remain on high alert after they have reportedly detected “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.”

CNN has cited several US intelligence sources as saying that Iran is allegedly on the verge of attacking Israel, but that it is unclear when the attack could be staged.

“If there is an attack it might not be immediately clear it’s Iran,” one of the sources noted.

Representatives of the US-led coalition fighting jihadists in Syria, for their part, declared that they did not observe any changes in the behavior of the Iranian-backed forces operating on Syrian territory.

“We’ve seen no change […] we closely monitor all threats to our forces, and as you know we retain our right to self-defense if we need to, but we see no change,” UK Army Major General Felix Gedne pointed out.

The remarks came amid reports that the Israeli Defense Forces “are on high alert for an attack” after the military picked up “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.”

Tel Aviv has also reportedly instructed local authorities in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to “unlock and ready (bomb) shelters.”

The instructions came on the heels of the re-imposition of US sanctions against Tehran and Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) announced by President Donald Trump.

In a separate development, the Syrian army repelled the alleged Israeli missile strikes near the settlement of Al-Kiswah, located 23 kilometers (some 14 miles) south of Damascus, the Syrian state television reported, citing a military source.

Earlier, a source at Beirut International Airport told Sputnik that Israeli combat aircraft were in Lebanese airspace at the supposed time of the strike on Syria. The Israeli military has declined to comment on reports about their alleged involvement in the attack.

With Tehran refusing to recognize Israel, Tel Aviv claims that Iran is expanding the range of its nuclear-capable missiles, which is out of line with the JCPOA. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has thousands of documents revealing how Tehran allegedly lied to the world after signing the nuclear deal.

The relations between the two countries deteriorated further against the background of the situation in Syria, from where Iran may allegedly launch a strike on Israel, Israeli media reported.According to security personnel, Iran may stage a retaliatory missile attack against military targets in northern Israel after last month’s strike on a base in Syria.

Tel Aviv claims that Iran allegedly deployed its military forces to Syria that it plans to use against Israel. Tehran denies the allegations, claiming that it is only sending military advisors to the Arab Republic.

Iran's leaders will have to do something soon. They're economy is a basket case, and if sanctions are reimposed, an economic collapse seems inevitable. There have already been large demonstrations against the government, so the situation seems pretty grim for Iran's leaders.

But don't expect Hassan Rouhani and Ali Khamenei to leave quietly. They're going to go down fighting. And Israel is probably in their cross hairs, and maybe Saudi Arabia as well.

Onward and upward,
airforce

It sure looks like Israel and Iran are getting a little more bellicose. Maybe the bombing raids on Iranian forces in Syria will quiet things down for a while, but I wouldn't count on it.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Just saw a report that claims Iran has returned fire on the Golan Heights.

So much for things quieting down.

Onward and upward,
airforce

It was going to get hot. I figured that out after talking to the 'clone' about what his unit was doing. One Battalion alone in the Brigade is an air defense missile unit. One Battalion of Patriot Missiles and two Battalions of Paladins.

They just got in a fresh reload of missiles also.

Biggest thing Israel needs is ADA (air defense artillery missiles) missile reloads and smart bombs. The rest they can handle.

Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US versus Iran, Syria,and Russia.

This could quickly escalate out of control.

BTW did youall know John Kerry rushed to Iran and tried to broker another deal...on his own? Trump is livid because Kerry has NO authority to make such a move.

Also, per Jerusulem Post Iran attacked the GH first...firing 20 missles which initiated Israel's response.

And, Iran is now threatening a "massive cyber attack on US infrastructure".

The jerk store called, they want John Kerry back.

The Logan Act is probably unconstitutional, and certainly bullshit. But if you're going to criticize Michael Flynn for possibly violating it, you should do the same for Kerry, who was definitely violating it. As a practical matter though, I find it hard to criticize anyone for trying to promote peace.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Leaked Doc Reveals White House Planning “Regime Change” In Iran

The regime change plan seeks to fundamentally shift U.S. policy towards Iran and has found a receptive audience in the Trump administration

Zero Hedge - May 11, 2018

It appears Rudy Giuliani wasn’t lying.

Just a few days after the former NYC mayor and latest member of President Trump’s unexpectedly let it slip that “we got a president who is tough, who does not listen to the people who are naysayers, and a president who is committed to regime change [in Iran]”, the Washington Free Beacon has obtained a three-page white paper being circulated among National Security Council officials with drafted plans to spark regime change in Iran, following the US exit from the Obama-era nuclear deal and the re-imposition of tough sanctions aimed at toppling the Iranian regime.

The plan, authored by the Security Studies Group, or SSG, a national security think-tank that has close ties to senior White House national security officials, including – who else – National Security Adviser John Bolton, seeks to reshape longstanding American foreign policy toward Iran by emphasizing an explicit policy of regime change, something the Obama administration opposed when popular protests gripped Iran in 2009, writes the Free Beacon, which obtained a leaked copy of the circulating plans.

The regime change plan seeks to fundamentally shift U.S. policy towards Iran and has found a receptive audience in the Trump administration, which has been moving in this direction since Bolton—a longtime and vocal supporter of regime change—entered the White House.

It deemphasizes U.S military intervention, instead focusing on a series of moves to embolden an Iranian population that has increasingly grown angry at the ruling regime for its heavy investments in military adventurism across the region. –Free Beacon

“The ordinary people of Iran are suffering under economic stagnation, while the regime ships its wealth abroad to fight its expansionist wars and to pad the bank accounts of the Mullahs and the IRGC command,” SSG writes in the paper. “This has provoked noteworthy protests across the country in recent months” it further claims as an argument to push a “regime change” policy.

For now – at least – overthrowing the Iran government, with its extensive and close ties to the Kremlin, is not official US policy; SSG president Jim Hanson told the Free Beacon that the Trump administration does not want to engage in direct military intervention in Iran – and is instead focusing on other methods of ridding Iran of its “hardline ruling regime.”

“The Trump administration has no desire to roll tanks in an effort to directly topple the Iranian regime,” Hanson said. “But they would be much happier dealing with a post-Mullah government. That is the most likely path to a nuclear weapons-free and less dangerous Iran.”

That will likely change, however.

One source close to the White House who has previewed the plan told the Free Beacon that the nuclear deal, also known as the JCPOA, solidified the Iranian regime’s grip on power and intentionally prevented the United States from fomenting regime change

“The JCPOA purposefully destroyed the carefully created global consensus against the Islamic Republic,” said the source, who would only speak to the Free Beacon on background about the sensitive issue. “Prior to that, everyone understood the dangers of playing footsie with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. It’s now Trump, Bolton, and [Mike] Pompeo’s job to put this consensus back in place.”

The source tells the Beacon that Bolton is “acutely aware of the danger the Iranian regime poses to the region.”

“John is someone who understands the danger of Iran viscerally, and knows that you’re never going to fundamentally change its behavior—and the threats against Israel and the Saudis especially—until that revolutionary regime is gone,” the source said, adding that “nothing’s off the table right now if Israel is attacked.”

That said, Bolton is confident that an Iranian regime change will occur in the next six months:

John Bolton – We Will Be Celebrating in Tehran Before 2019

>You can't say you weren't warned pic.twitter.com/F1dvZAVQaF

— Battle Beagle 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@HarmlessYardDog) May 7, 2018

A second source tells The Beacon that the Trump administration recognizes that the “chief impediment to the region is Iran’s tyrannical regime.”

“The problem is not the Iran nuclear deal it’s the Iranian regime,” said the source. “Team Bolton has spent years creating Plans B, C, and D for dealing with that problem. President Trump hired him knowing all of that. The administration will now start aggressively moving to deal with the root cause of chaos and violence in the region in a clear-eyed way.”

Regional sources who have spoken to SSG “tell us that Iranian social media is more outraged about internal oppression, such as the recent restrictions on Telegram, than about supporting or opposing the nuclear program. Iranian regime oppression of its ethnic and religious minorities has created the conditions for an effective campaign designed to splinter the Iranian state into component parts,” the group states. –Free Beacon

“More than one third of Iran’s population is minority groups, many of whom already seek independence,” the paper explains. “U.S. support for these independence movements, both overt and covert, could force the regime to focus attention on them and limit its ability to conduct other malign activities.”

Without a regime change, the United States will continue face threats from Iranian forces stationed throughout the region, including in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.

“The probability the current Iranian theocracy will stop its nuclear program willingly or even under significant pressure is low,” the plan states. “Absent a change in government within Iran, America will face a choice between accepting a nuclear-armed Iran or acting to destroy as much of this capability as possible.”

That said, President Trump made clear earlier in the week that US officials must make efforts to differentiate between the people of Iran and its ruling regime.

“Any public discussion of these options, and any messaging about the Iranian regime in general, should make a bright line distinction between the theocratic regime along with its organs of oppression and the general populace,” according to the plan. “We must constantly reinforce our support for removing the iron sandal from the necks of the people to allow them the freedom they deserve.”

Remember the Green Revolution? The Iranian government would have been toppled back in 2009 - had the U.S. shown any interest at all in supporting the protesters.

We didn't, dozens were killed, and the leaders were arrested. So just how are they "planning" this regime change now? How many opposition leaders in Iran are going to trust us?

Onward and upward,
airforce

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will open tomorrow. I don't know what's going to happen, but the IDF is on alert.

Onward and upward,
airforce

About 37 Palestinians are dead so far, and dozens more injured and wounded in protests.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Calling these Iranian funded incidents “protests” is not really accurate by any stretch of the imagination.

Good start.

I wonder if the IDF still has their silenced .22's for 'kneecapping'? LOL

The Palestinians "beef" is bogus.

Under British rule Palestine consisted of the modern countries of Jordan and Israel. The Jews were given a small portion of the original country. There are no more Palestinians. If the muslim group doesn't like Israel, they should get out.

My girlfriend is a Jew, from a long line of Jews. She's been to Israel on two separate trips, each about a month in length.

Her parents have both been to Israel multiple times, a total of a few months between them.

She has family living in Israel right now. Shitloads of cousins.

Their experiences have informed my view. Also, my reading of history has informed my view.

I see it this way:

Israel is a result of general western sympathy for the Holocaust and the many pogroms and general anti-semitism of the previous 1000s of years. Its location in Moses' promised land was both a huge tactical error and an example of poetic justice. There's so much nuance in this story.

The idea of a Jewish homeland is sweet, so sweet, after how Jews have been persecuted throughout the ages. I went to law school, a solid 10% of my class was Jews (also, there were a more-than-population percentage of Mormons and Asians there, too). Jews in America are doing just fine nowadays. Jews in Europe are doing just fine, now, too. And a big part of that success story is their culture of perseverance and hard work.

Jews do not receive any benefits in admissions protocol. Women, African-Americans, Latinos are given priority. Jews and Asians are the minorities that receive no help in admissions or minority categories. If you're a white male, well, fuck you, hopefully you've got the stats to go the distance (I did, full ride scholarship at law school at a first tier school).

I digress. Jews, like Israel, have a complicated story to tell. Yes, they are totally killing it now. But from creation to about 50 years ago, they were mostly poor, uneducated, and persecuted.

Israel's location in the holy land was a terrible idea. It guaranteed that the Jewish nation would be surrounded by anti-semites. Luckily for Israel, they had a big friend in Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam gave Israel the tech they needed to win the 6 day war. And every war since. Before the 6 day war, Israel was nothing but a couple hard-core Jews that decided they weren't going to take no shit from nobody. They built that country out of their own bones.

I think modern Israel is too hard. But I can't imagine what it's like to be them. They inherited a desert country and turned it into a green country, full of life. They turned a shithole into a great place to visit.

But living there is another story. They are still surrounded by people who hate them because of who they are and wish to eradicate them from the Earth. I can't blame Israel for being hard as fuck.

Israel is the best at what they do. I have no doubt that regardless of the politics of the moment, Israel will get Israel some.

Most folks do not realize just how little Israel is. For example when I was there for the 1973 unpleasantness, from one border next to Syria to the sea was only 8 miles wide. That is NOT a lot of room to duck and cover or move around.

Also folks need to know the Arabs do NOT take Israeli prisoners of follow the Geneva Convention.

When that country goes to war, the ENTIRE country works at it. While everyone (male AND female)under 55 is subject to fighting, those over that age does what it can. Be it taking care of the children, digging alternative fighting positions, to cooking and feeding the troops.

Then I got to know a rather well known Israeli family that is VERY high up in the government now. They will NOT back off or back down as they know losing means the extermination of the citizens of the country.

Now ask yourself one thing. If you had an enemy that vows to kill everyone (men, women AND children), what would you do?

Before long there will be a war that engulfs the entire region. Turkey, Iran Syria and others will be involved. Although Israel will take heavy losses, the muslim nations will be destroyed. Their fate was sealed long ago.

Could someone tell me what happened to the uss liberty,heard that ship had a miss fortune.

It was attacked by Israeli aircraft on June 8, 1967 , during the Six Day War. There has always been some controversy over whether the attack was deliberate.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Senior Hamas Official Says 50 of 62 Palestinians Killed in Gaza This Week Were ‘From Hamas’

By Patrick Goodenough | May 16, 2018

(CNSNews.com) – Israel stands accused of massacring “Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest” along the Gaza-Israel border this week, but a senior member of Hamas told Palestinian television on Wednesday that 50 of the 62 Palestinians killed in the rioting were members of the terrorist organization.

Salah Al-Bardawil, a member of Hamas’ Politburo, was defending his group against claims that it was reaping the benefits of the border protest campaign while ordinary Palestinians were paying the price.

“People are saying that children are dying and that Hamas is reaping the fruits,” said the interviewer on the Gaza-based Baladna television network.

“In the last round, there were 62 martyrs,” replied Bardawil, citing the same figure that the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has given for the number of people killed in clashes along the border on Monday and Tuesday.

“Fifty of the martyrs were from Hamas,” Bardawil continued, “and the other 12 were regular people. So how can anyone claim that Hamas is reaping the fruits, when it paid such a steep price? What did Hamas gain? Fifty martyrs—”

“This figure is—” the interviewer interjected.

“I am giving you an official figure,” said Bardawil. “Fifty of the martyrs in the recent battle were from Hamas. Before that, at least 50 percent of the martyrs were from Hamas. So what did Hamas gain from this?”

Baladna posted the full Arabic interview on YouTube. The exchange about the number of “martyrs” was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Hamas has been a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO) since 1997.

Commenting on Bardawil’s remarks, Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus tweeted, “Take his word for it. This was no peaceful protest.”

Earlier the IDF reported that, based on a joint investigation with intelligence services, “at least 24 terrorists with documented terror background” were among those killed.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Iran-backed terrorist group in Gaza, also designated as an FTO since 1997, announced that three of its fighters were killed in Monday’s clashes.

Israel is facing international condemnation over the loss of life that occurred when tens of thousands of Palestinians tried to breach the border in the culmination of a six-week Hamas-instigated campaign dubbed the “great march of return.”

Ahead of Monday’s events, Israel said Hamas in statements and social media sought to incite Palestinians to use violence, not only against soldiers guarding the border but also against Israeli communities located nearby.

The IDF says troops fired only on individuals “carrying out terrorist activity,” while “demonstrators” were dispersed using tear gas.

The Hamas-run health ministry said at least six of the dead were minors and that more than 2,700 people were injured.

The White House said responsibility for the deaths “rests squarely with Hamas,” and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also sided with Israel, accusing the terrorist group of “pushing people into circumstances where they are likely to be shot.”

But most governments are blaming Israel. Numerous countries summoned Israeli ambassadors to deliver protests and South Africa and Turkey withdrew their envoys from Israel. (Turkey said it would also recall its ambassador from the United States, to protest the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.)

At the United Nations, the U.S. blocked a Kuwait-drafted statement which said, “The [U.N.] Security Council expresses its outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest.”

U.N. human rights officials accused Israel of “outrageous human rights violations,” several European governments called for an independent investigation, and international bodies including the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation are meeting to formulate responses.

The Hamas campaign was designed from the outset to reach a climax on Monday’s 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, and Tuesday’s annual day marking what Palestinians call the “naqba” (“catastrophe”).

Even so, many sought to blame the United States, charging that the opening on Monday of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was responsible in part for the rioting in Gaza.

The Trump administration says relocating the embassy – in line with long-waived U.S. law – was simply recognizing reality, and that it does not prejudge final status issues in any future peace deal.

The Palestinians want Jerusalem as the capital of an envisaged independent state.