Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israel’s defense minister on Sunday shot down appeals for an inquiry into the killing of at least 15 Palestinians during violent demonstrations Friday at the Gaza-Israel border, saying the Israeli soldiers involved “deserve a medal.” Despite calls for an investigation into the violence by top UN officials, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Army Radio that Israeli troops “did what was necessary” and “there won’t be” an inquiry into the incident. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, and Amnesty International were among those to call for an investigation into the violence, as well as the families of those killed. The Israeli military has doubled down amid criticism and vowed to “expand” its response to demonstrations in the face of any further clashes. It says eight of the 15 Palestinians killed were members of Hamas, which is says used the demonstrations to carry out “organized terrorist activity.”