PRCS: 2 killed, 300 injured in clashes over Jerusalem

CAIRO – 8 December 2017: The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) reported that two Palestinians were killed and 300 were wounded on Friday during protests in the Gaza Strip and across the occupied West Bank over U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that a Palestinian citizen, Mohamed El Masry, 30, was killed in Khan Younes, Southern Gaza Strip.

Mainly injuries were caused by rubber bullets or gas inhalation.

The protests started following Friday prayers in all mosques in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli forces fired tear gas at the protesters, amid tightened security measures, Extra News reported.

On Wednesday night, United States’ President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during a televised speech from the White House. Trump’s decision was met by a barrage of criticism and condemnations from many Arab and world leaders, while protests took places in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and different parts of the Arab world.

The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine called for staging protests against Trump’s decision to be a third intifada (uprising).

The Palestinian Authority (PA) filed a complaint in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against Donald Trump’s on Thursday, Sky News Arabia reported.

After a four-hour meeting between the Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas to discuss Trump’s decision on Thursday, both factions announced their total rejection of the U.S. President‘s decision, stating that such a decision is an attack on Palestinian people.