THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has condemned the use of force by the Israel Defence Force for firing on largely unarmed Palestinians protesting along the Gaza-Israel border.

In a statement, CARICOM said it has followed with increasing alarm the mounting toll of fatalities and injured among the demonstrators. On Monday 14 May, some sixty protesters, mostly young men and boys, were said to have been killed and seventeen hundred wounded during the clashes.

“In the midst of these troubling developments, the Caribbean Community calls for restraint in the use of force and for a halt to this unacceptable escalation of death and violence. “

The Community also reiterates its position that the Israel-Palestine conflict can only be resolved by peaceful means and reaffirms its support for a two-state solution with the people of Israel and Palestine living in independent countries within secure and internationally recognised borders in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.