White House calls for Palestinain retraint on eve of fresh protests

The White House today called on Palestinians to engage in peaceful protest and stay 500 meters from Gaza's border with Israel, after Israeli troops killed 18 Palestinians.

On the eve of fresh demonstrations and amid warnings from the UN that Israel should use "extreme caution," Donald Trump's envoy Jason Greenblatt put the onus squarely on Palestinians.

"The United States strongly urges protest leaders to communicate loudly and clearly that protestors should march peacefully; should abstain from all forms of violence," he said.

Greenblatt said protestors "should remain outside the 500-meter buffer zone; and should not approach the border fence in any way or any location."
"We condemn leaders and protestors who call for violence or who send protestors - including children - to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed."