Hundreds protest in Jerusalem after Friday prayers

CAIRO – 8 December 2017: Palestinians are expected to protest across the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip following Trump administration's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday.


Israeli security forces have deployed reinforcements in Jerusalem ahead of Friday prayers, as Muslims head to Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform their prayers.


The Israeli police frequently imposes age restrictions to undermine pro-tests against Israel.


Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions have called for protests across the Palestinian territory to express their anger at the American decision which effectively starts with moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the sacred city of Jerusalem.


Demonstrations in solidarity are expected across the Middle East and many Muslim nations. In Egypt, dozens protested Thursday in Cairo and Fayoum governorates. In Malaysia, more than 1,000 people protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, according to the Associated Press.


Hundreds took to streets in Sanaa, Yemen, to protest against the American decision, despite the chaotic developments in Yemen which ended with the murder of former President Ali Abdallah Saleh last week.


Trump's declaration on Jerusalem departs from decades of U.S. policy and upends longstanding international assurances that the fate of the city would be determined by negotiations.