New Delhi: Palestinians shuttered their schools and shops on Thursday to begin three “days of rage” over Trump’s decision. Rallies were underway in other West Bank cities, and a demonstration was being held outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City amid a heavy Israeli police presence.
There were no serious casualties reported in Thursday’s clashes, while, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it had treated dozens of Palestinians for various injuries. No deaths have been reported.
But Friday, the Muslim holy day, could provide an important test when Palestinians gather for weekly mass prayers.
In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh called on Palestinians to launch a new intifada, or uprising, against Israel on Friday.
“The American decision is an aggression on our people and a war on our sanctuaries,” Haniyeh said in a speech, urging supporters “to be ready for any orders.”
“We want the uprising to last and continue to let Trump and the occupation regret this decision,” he said.
Palestinians widely protest Trump’s Jerusalem decision
Spontaneous protests sparked in Gaza overnight, with angry youths burning tires, American and Israeli flags and Trump posters.
The Israeli military said it would deploy several battalions to the West Bank ahead of Friday, while other troops have been put on alert to address “possible developments.”
The conflicting claims to Jerusalem, and especially its Old City, where sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites are located, lie at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Trump’s decision had no impact on the city’s daily life, it carried deep symbolic meaning, and was seen as siding with Israel and an attempt to impose a solution on the Palestinians.
The international community rejected Trump’s decision branding it “unilateral” and detrimental to peace process, while anger at the U.S. has rippled across the Arab world.
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