Updated
As voices around the world condemn Israel following shooting deaths of 15 protesters, it is standing firm, with the country's Defence Minister rejecting demands for an inquiry into the actions of its security forces.
In addition to the protesters shot dead, more than 400 people were wounded by live fire from Israeli soldiers on Friday.
There are calls from the United Nations and the European Union for an investigation, and in his annual Easter address, Pope Francis implied Israel had targeted the defenceless.
But Israel has launched a diplomatic offensive of its own to counter what it said was a grossly inaccurate narrative.
Israeli ambassador to the UK Mark Regev told the BBC this was not any ordinary protest, but an attempt to attack Israel.
"We can't allow our border to be porous," he said.
"We would be putting our people in danger."
Israel said at least 10 of the protesters shot dead had links to the military wing of Hamas, the Islamist body that runs Gaza.
It said only instigators trying to harm Israeli soldiers or damage the border fence were shot.
The demonstrations on Friday were the beginning of six-week campaign to support the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel. But Mr Regev and other Israelis said Hamas did not want peaceful protest.
"There's no reason for this violence, no reason whatsoever," he said.
"It's only because Hamas wants to see violence to further its very extremist agenda."
'I don't remember it being worse than now'
In Ramallah, on the West Bank, that argument is met with scorn. Ziad AbuZayyad is a long-time negotiator, and a former minister with the Palestinian Authority.
"No-one wants to provoke Israel. Israel is provoking everybody," he said.
"Israel is inciting Palestinians by its continued settlement activities and by the siege on Gaza."
He is not surprised the protest turned violent, because "people in Gaza have reached a point where they don't distinguish between life and death".
"I expect more waves of people trying to approach the border," he said.
Just two days after so much Palestinian bloodshed, in the centre of Ramallah it was business as usual.
Saturday was a day of national mourning in the West Bank and Gaza for the victims. There was also a general strike that closed schools, universities, and many businesses.
"It was a very bad day for the Palestinian people," said 24-year-old student Hanadee.
She said she and other Palestinians had grown used to this over the years. She believed the protests in Gaza — and the violence — would not end soon.
"I think they will continue protesting, because what happened two days ago only strengthened and encouraged the Palestinian people," she said.
"There is no hope to achieve peace now with the Israelis.
"But we have to keep trying."
Ziad AbuZayyad, the negotiator who spent so many years trying to hammer out a deal with Israel, was even more pessimistic.
"I've been living this situation for the last five decades," he said.
"I don't remember any time the situation was as worse as it is now."
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, palestinian-territory-occupied, israel
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