AKIPRESS.COM - The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called for an independent investigation after Palestinian officials said 16 Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers on Friday, BBC reports.

Hundreds were also injured on the Gaza border, the Palestinian side said.

Friday was the single deadliest day in the Israel-Palestine conflict since the 2014 Gaza war.

The UN Security Council condemned the violence after an emergency session.

UN deputy political affairs chief Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the council the situation in Gaza "might deteriorate in the coming days" and called for civilians, particularly children, not to be targeted, Reuters news agency reports.

"Israel must uphold its responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law," he said.

In a written statement before the meeting, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, blamed the bloodshed on Hamas - the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.