Egypt rejects Israeli anti-Palestinian violence, excessive force

CAIRO -- Egypt condemned the Israeli continuous violence and use of excessive force against unarmed Palestinian civilians who have been marching in ongoing protests for the second week in a row, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"Egypt rejects the use of force and claiming the lives of civilians participating in peaceful protests demanding legitimate and just rights for the Palestinian people," the statement said.

Egypt urged the international community for earnest work to restore the Palestinian rights including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital city.

On Friday, at least eight Palestinian protestors were killed and over 1,000 were wounded, including 48 children, during the ongoing "Great Return March" to mark the 42nd anniversary of the "Land Day" demanding the right of return of some 750,000 Palestinian refugees.

Since the rally started on March 30 at the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel, at least 29 Palestinians were killed and about 2,500 others were injured by the Israeli forces.

Earlier in April, the Cairo-based Arab League expressed full support for the Palestinian request for the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into the recent "war crimes and crimes against humanity" committed by Israel against peaceful Palestinian civilians.

The Israeli deadly crackdown on unarmed Palestinian protestors has been rejected by many states regionally and internationally.

The international community blames Israel for the deadlock of the peace process with the Palestinians due to its settlement expansion policy on occupied Palestinian territories.

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital city in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders.

Israel is the regional number one ally of the United States, whose President Donald Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and expressed plans to move Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the disputable holy city despite regional and international outcry.