Israel will keep shooting Palestinian protesters

Significance

However, the United States has already blocked a Kuwaiti-drafted statement expressing “outrage” at Israeli security forces’ killings of protesters and calling for an independent investigation. The demonstrations by thousands of Gaza Palestinians approaching the Israeli security fence coincided with the formal opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

Impacts

• The turn in international opinion against Israel could bolster Iran and its Lebanese protégé Hezbollah.
• Events in Gaza make progress in the stalled Egypt-backed ‘reconciliation’ agreement with the West Bank authorities even more unlikely.
• Few countries will follow the US example of moving their embassies to Jerusalem, despite Israeli inducements.
• Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s recent foreign policy successes could bolster his position against corruption investigations.