Israeli troops wounds more than 40 Palestinians in protests over US Jerusalem move

Israeli troops shot and wounded more than 40 Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank on Friday, Israeli medical officials said as reported by Reuters, as protests over US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital entered a second week. Reports all other sources report 900 wounded and 4 killed during yesterday’s clashes.

Near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank, Israeli police troopers said they shot a man after he stabbed and hurt one of their unit. Medical officials said three more Palestinians were shot and wounded in the West Bank. A further 38 were wounded on the border of the Gaza Strip, where Hamas have called for a revolt against Israel in protest against Trump’s December 6 decision.

The Israeli military said that about 2,500 Palestinian took part in riots in the West Bank, rolling flaming tyres and throwing firebombs and rocks at soldiers and border police. Troops took action to break up the riots, it said in a statement. Over 300 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since the protests began last week.

Similar scenes occurred along the border with Gaza Strip, where about 3,500 Palestinians demonstrated.

“During the violent riots IDF soldiers fired selectively towards main instigators,” the military said.

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Trump’s announcement, reversing decades of US policy which treated Jerusalem’s status as a matter for Israeli-Palestinian negotiation, stirred anger across the Arab and Muslim world and concern among Washington’s European allies.

Tension has risen across the Palestinian territories since US President Donald Trump’s decision to officially recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory, and say the status of the city should be left to be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

While the international community has almost unanimously disagreed with Donald Trump’s announcement, reports suggest that the announcement was done with the pre-agreement of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi Arabia going as far as, allegedly, stating to the Palestinian President to accept a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem as the alternative Palestinian capital.

US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to visit Israel, as well as Egypt, next week. However, due to the PA’s refusals to meet him, he has now cancelled part of his trip.

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