File Photo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt condemned on Friday the "excessive use of force" by "Israeli occupation forces" after clashes in the Gaza Strip left at least six Palestinians killed and wounded scores on Friday.
"Egypt demands that Israel as an occupation force provides the necessary protection for the Palestinian people. They should also stop the repetetive attacks that only lead to more tension for the Palestinian people, and therefore waste chances after chances of succeeding in the attempts to resume negotiations between both Palestinian and Israeli sides," an official statement by the foreign ministry read.
The clashes came as Hamas' chief in Gaza called the violence that has hit the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem an intifada, or uprising, and urged further unrest.
Gaza has been the site of three Israeli offensives since 2008, but had remained mainly calm amid the recent unrest in the West Bank and occupied east Jerusalem on Friday.
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