Israeli fury over UN report denouncing IDF force against Nakba Day protesters

Israel has reacted with fury to a UN report which holds the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) responsible for the deaths of a number of refugee protesters on Nakba Day in May. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has criticized the IDF, saying that the force used by Israel against the Palestinian protesters on the borders with Lebanon was “not commensurate to the threat”. Seven protesters were killed by live ammunition fired by IDF personnel. In his report to the UN Security Council, Mr Ban denounced Israel for firing live ammunition against unarmed, peaceful protesters instead of using other, less lethal methods to disperse them.

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The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published parts of the report, which pointed out that the “firing of live ammunition by the Israel Defence Forces across the Blue Line against the demonstrators… constituted a violation of resolution 1701…”

According to Haaretz, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has cancelled a visit to the Zionist state by the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams. This is being seen as a major snub to the international organisation.