Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has called on the Arab League to sue Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The demand came during a phone call Haniyeh made with Secretary-General of the Cairo-based league, Ahmed Abul-Gheit, to discuss Israeli practices against the Palestinians. Haniyeh underlined the need "to go to the U.N. General Assembly to discuss the [Israeli] crime and form a special investigation commission." his office said in a statement, as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA).

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) held a session Saturday at the request of Kuwait to discuss the situation on Gaza border, but the Council failed to condemn the Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters. The U.S. declined calls from the U.N. Security Council for an investigation into violence on the Israeli-Gaza border that left 18 Palestinians dead, a U.N. official said Monday.

Speaking at Arab League session, Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh accused the U.S. of "encouraging" Israel to continue committing "heinous crimes" against defenseless Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch yesterday accused Israel of "unlawful" excessive force when it responded last week to mass Palestinian protests with live fire. The group issued a report saying that although there was violence at the protest on Friday, like rock throwing and burning tires, there is no evidence that demonstrators "seriously threatened" Israeli soldiers.

Friday was the bloodiest single day in the embattled coastal enclave since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.