International

Clashes erupt outside Israeli Embassy in Mexico during protest over war in Gaza

Pro-Palestine protesters in Mexico City clashed with police outside the Israeli Embassy Tuesday night.

Video footage from The Associated Press showed some demonstrators were rocking metal fences surrounding the embassy back and forth, attempting to remove them.

The AP reported that six officers were injured. The video shows people throwing items at the police, who were dressed in riot gear and holding shields.

Al Jazeera reported that about 200 people joined the “Urgent action for Rafah” protest, and the confrontation began when demonstrators attempted to break down the fencing.

As protesters threw stones at police, law enforcement threw them back and deployed tear gas, the outlet reported.

The protests follow an Israeli strike that set fire to a refugee camp in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where hundreds of thousands are sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war.

The strike killed an estimated 45 Palestinians and wounded another 200 and has fueled international outrage after world leaders warned Israel not to attack civilians in Rafah.

After the strike, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the fire as tragic and said Israel would be investigating, and the military would learn from the incident.

Israeli officials said shrapnel from a targeted strike intended for Hamas leaders struck a nearby fuel tank near the displaced persons camp, resulting in the fire.

Activists have been demanding a cease-fire, and a top United Nations court recently issued a ruling for Israel to stop its conduct.

Despite President Biden warning Netanyahu not to invade Rafah, the White House said Tuesday that the strike did not cross a “red line” that would lead to a change in U.S. policy and support for Israel.