Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Monday night blamed Hamas for the deaths of Gazans who violently rioted near the Israel-Gaza border.
“Any loss of life like this is tragic in circumstances like this, but Hamas’s conduct is confrontational. They’re seeking to provoke the Israeli Defense Forces,” Turnbull told a local radio station, adding, “If they’re pushing people to the border in that context, in that conflict zone, you’re basically pushing people into circumstances where they are very likely to be shot at as Israel seeks to defend itself.”