US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Photo: Reuters / Lucas Jackson.

A day after several dozen Palestinian rioters were killed in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as they tried to breach the border with Israel, America’s UN envoy voiced a strong defense of the Jewish state at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

Ambassador Nikki Haley said:

“Hamas has attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing, the biggest entry point in Gaza for fuel, food, and medical supplies. This is how determined they are to make the lives of the Palestinian people miserable. They light Molotov cocktails attached to kites on fire and attempt to fly them into Israel to cause as much destruction as possible. When asked yesterday why he put a swastika on his burning kite, the terrorist responded, ‘The Jews go crazy when you mention Hitler.’ This is what is endangering the people of Gaza. Make no mistake: Hamas is pleased with the results from yesterday. I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border? No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has.”

Haley also said the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem was “the right thing to do.”

“It reflects the will of the American people,” she explained. “It reflects our sovereign right to decide the location of our embassy — a right that everyone in this room claims for their own country. Importantly, moving our embassy to Jerusalem also reflects the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It has served as Israel’s capital since the founding of the state. It is the ancient capital of the Jewish people. There is no plausible peace agreement under which Jerusalem would no longer remain the capital of Israel. Recognizing this reality makes peace more achievable, not less.”

Before the Security Council meeting — which was convened to discuss the situation in Gaza — Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters, “Hamas has committed war crimes not only against Israeli civilians but also against its own people — turning them into human shields for their own cynical gain. Every casualty that has resulted from the recent violence is a victim of Hamas’ war crimes.”

“Over the past month, Israel had to defend itself from the violent rioters along the security fence with Gaza,” Danon recalled. “The rioters have thrown Molotov cocktails, planted explosive devices and rolled burning tires.  They have sent flaming materials over the fence and into Israel, spreading deadly fires across our fields.  And they have tried, on multiple occasions, to break down the fence and infiltrate Israeli territory.”

Showing a photograph of the Kerem Shalom border crossing that was set ablaze by Palestinians earlier this week, Danon pointed out, “Had the rioters broken down the fence and infiltrated Israel, there can be no doubt that the damage to Israeli towns and villages would have looked like this.”

Additionally, Danon called the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem “just the latest in the series of Palestinian excuses for violence against Israel.”

Watch Haley’s remarks below: