Gerry Adams, the former Sinn Fein leader and an instrumental figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, has called on the Irish government to expel the Israeli ambassador.

Deputy Adams, who holds a seat in the Irish parliament, hit out at the actions of Israeli security forces during Friday’s ‘Great Return’ protest in Gaza, which left 16 Palestinians dead and more than 1,400 injured.

“There can be no justification or excuse by Israel for the calculated slaughter by Israeli military snipers of unarmed Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border with Israel,” Adams said.

In a strongly worded statement, the Republican politician labeled the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel “a dark stain on the reputation of the international community” and urged both the European Union and the United Nations to involve themselves in the peace process.

“I am urging the EU and the UN to take a stand against Israeli violence. I would especially urge the Irish government to expel the Israeli ambassador as a first step in formally and officially recognizing the state of Palestine. The time for excuses is long over,” Adams said.

“The Irish government has an opportunity to give leadership on this issue to the international community by taking decisive decisions that reflect the widespread abhorrence of Israeli actions by the Irish people and by acting in solidarity with the Palestinian victims of Israeli aggression,” the statement concluded.

Retweeted Days of Palestine (@DaysofPalestine): There's no justification or excuses for Israel's calculated slaughter of unarmed Palestinians says Gerry Adams pic.twitter.com/w6L1QYLKny — Catherine Vallely (@Thebfromtuam) March 31, 2018

Violence erupted on Friday as thousands of Palestinians took part in a march to mark Land Day, a historical show of opposition towards Israeli settlement in the region. The protest turned violent along the border with Gaza with Israeli troops using live fire, rubber-coated bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds that had flocked to the border fence.

A spokesman for Benjamin Netanyahu told RT that the deaths were the fault of Hamas. David Keyes, the Israeli prime minister’s foreign media chief, said the protests were the “opposite of peaceful.”

“The aim of this event is to swarm into Israel and overwhelm it, and it’s a part of a long track record by Hamas of waging war against Israel, launching tens of thousands of missiles, conducting suicide bombings against cafes, against civilians and in buses,” he said.

Adams has visited Palestine on many occasions where he has met with local community leaders, placed a wreath on the grave of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and in recent years has met with leaders of the Hamas movement.

Adams has been an proponent for Palestinian rights for decades and in recent years has been barred by the Israelis from visiting the Gaza Strip. During that time, he likened the Israeli siege and separation wall to Apartheid.

His political party, Sinn Féin strongly supports the Palestinian cause and has organized demonstrations against earlier wars in Gaza.

(RT, PC, Social Media)