Palestinian protesters run away from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during clashes near the Jewish settlement of Bet El, near the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 13, 2015 - REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman
CAIRO – 7 December 2017: Clashes erupted between Israeli occupation forces and Palestinians amid rallies organized on Thursday by Palestinians; injuring many Palestinians and arresting 36 others.
Several Palestinian factions organized mass rallies in different governorates in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
Many outraged Palestinians demonstrated in the Gaza Strip, waving Palestinian flags, photos of Al-Aqsa Mosque and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as “our eternal capital” and calling it a “red line.” The protesters burned American and Israeli flags, as well as photos of Trump.
Clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli occupation forces when the latter attempted to prevent Palestinians from protesting. The clashes have resulted in injuring many people as bullets, rubber and gas bombs were fired at the stone-throwers, injuring around 25 people.
Israeli occupation forces arrested 36 Palestinians across governorates and installed iron gates at the entrance of Abda village, located 10 kilometers southwest of the city of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank, to sever all communications with the villages’ residents.
Meanwhile, protests broke out in several Arab countries after U.S. President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday night.
"Through all of these years, presidents representing the United States have refused to acknowledge Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Today, we acknowledge that Jerusalem is the Israeli capital. It is the right thing to do. It is something that has to be done," Trump stated.
In Jordan, several demonstrators gathered in front of the American Embassy, chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian cause, such as “we would sacrifice our blood and soul for the sake of Palestine.”
The U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a statement advising its nationals to stay away from demonstrations that arose as a result of Trump’s latest decision.
In Palestine, the demonstrations began on Wednesday night, shortly after Trump’s speech. Several Palestinian officials said that they "rejected" the declaration, which could cause a new Intifada.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh addressed Palestinians and the Arab world in a televised speech on Thursday morning, saying that "Jerusalem is our honor... If you lose it, then you have no dignity."
United States President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday during a televised speech from the White House.
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