Israel says open-fire rules for Gaza unchanged for new protests

Jerusalem (AFP) – Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday that open-fire rules for the Gaza border that saw Israeli forces kill 18 Palestinians last week during a mass protest will remain unchanged.

“If there are provocations, there will be a reaction of the harshest kind like last week,” Lieberman said on the eve of fresh protests expected on the Israeli-Palestinian border.

“We do not intend to change the rules of engagement,” the minister told public radio.