8 dec 2017
Mahmoud al-Masri 30
Update: The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that another Palestinian died from serious wounds he suffered after Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinians in northern Gaza.
Update: The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that another Palestinian died from serious wounds he suffered after Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinians in northern Gaza.
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Maher Atallah 54
The Palestinian, identified as Maher Atallah , 54, was shot in northern Gaza on Friday evening, and died from his serious wounds at a local hospital. 153 Palestinians, including an infant, have been shot and injured, by Israeli army fire in the Gaza Strip alone, Friday, three of them are in serious condition. This video shows doctors treating the injured baby: Updated (Dec 8, 2017 @ 22:50): Protests grew on Friday throughout the West Bank (including Jerusalem), in Gaza and across the Arab |
world, against Donald Trump’s Wednesday statement about Jerusalem being the ‘capital of Israel’, effectively denying the basic rights of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who live in Jerusalem.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said one man A 30-year old man, identified as Mahmoud al-Masri, after the Israeli army fired live rounds at protesters, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
It added that 153 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire, including three who suffered serious wounds, in several parts of the Gaza Strip.
In related news, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its medics provided treatment to more than than 767 people were injured by Israeli forces on Friday, in several parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
61 of the wounded Palestinians were shot with live Israeli army fire, at least three of them suffered serious injuries, in addition to 200 Palestinians who were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, 479 who suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, and 27 who suffered various cuts and bruises.
On Friday at night, at least fifteen Palestinians were injured, including a infant who suffered serious wounds, after the Israeli Air Force fired missiles near Sheikh Zayed residential towers, north of Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Among the wounded are several elderly Palestinians, who suffered moderate wounds, in in their homes in residential towers and surrounding homes, in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the injuries ranged from severe to mild, and included a number of gunshot wounds from live ammunition fired by Israeli troops. Other injuries included asphyxiation from tear gas and injuries from rubber-coated steel bullets.
Protests were held in six areas in the Gaza Strip, along the border with Israel.
Israeli troops attacked all of these protests with live ammunition and so-called non-lethal weapons, resulting in the death of one protester and the critical injury of another. The Israeli military issued a statement, “[Israeli] soldiers are responding with riot dispersal means. During the riots [Israeli] soldiers fired selectively towards two main instigators and hits were confirmed.”
Firing live ammunition at non-violent protesters is a direct violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Tires were burned in the city of Bethlehem, where Christians from around the world had just days ago gathered in celebration of the Christmas tree in Manger Square, the church built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born. To protest the U.S. President’s statement denying Palestinian rights, Christian leaders in the city decided to engage in a ‘Christmas blackout’ protest, turning off the lights of the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations.
The army used live fire, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades in attacking the protesters.
The soldiers and undercover officers also invaded the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, in Beit Jala nearby city, looking for wounded Palestinians.
In Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinian Muslim worshipers attempted to reach the al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, for Friday prayers. Many were blocked by Israeli police checkpoints, and prevented from reaching the mosque.
Protesters gathered outside the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem – an area that has been a Palestinian area for over 2000 years, until Israeli settlers began to push out the Palestinian population over the past ten years through violent takeovers of Palestinian homes and apartment buildings, forcing out the Palestinian families who lived there and forcing them into homelessness.
Overnight, at least thirteen Palestinians were abducted by Israeli troops in different areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank, as protests that began Thursday continued through the night.
Around the world, protests continued on Friday, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in non-violent marches in Amman, Jordan, in Turkey, in Malaysia, in Istanbul, Turkey and in other cities and towns across the world. At least 10,000 people were estimated at the protest in Istanbul, and more than 5,000 gathered in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. In Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy, some holding signs reading “Trump is the enemy of humanity”.
All of these protests were peaceful, and none resulted in injuries, except those in the Palestinian Territories, where the protest marchers were violently assaulted by the occupying Israeli military.
Palestinian killed, 379 injured in protests against Trump's move
One Palestinian was killed and 379 were injured on Friday in the "Day of Rage" protests over the US announcement of Jerusalem as the capital of "Israel".
Spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qedra, announced that a 29-year-old Palestinian was killed and 134 others were injured in confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces in several areas east of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Red Crescent crews also said on Friday that they have attended to at least 245 injuries in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
These confrontations followed calls by Hamas movement and other Palestinian factions on the Palestinian people to take to the streets in protest at Donald Trump's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Under the instructions of the chief of general staff of the Israeli army, Gadi Eizenkot, a state of alert was announced and reinforcements were summoned as clashes escalated across the West Bank and east of the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said one man A 30-year old man, identified as Mahmoud al-Masri, after the Israeli army fired live rounds at protesters, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
It added that 153 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire, including three who suffered serious wounds, in several parts of the Gaza Strip.
In related news, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its medics provided treatment to more than than 767 people were injured by Israeli forces on Friday, in several parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
61 of the wounded Palestinians were shot with live Israeli army fire, at least three of them suffered serious injuries, in addition to 200 Palestinians who were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, 479 who suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, and 27 who suffered various cuts and bruises.
On Friday at night, at least fifteen Palestinians were injured, including a infant who suffered serious wounds, after the Israeli Air Force fired missiles near Sheikh Zayed residential towers, north of Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Among the wounded are several elderly Palestinians, who suffered moderate wounds, in in their homes in residential towers and surrounding homes, in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the injuries ranged from severe to mild, and included a number of gunshot wounds from live ammunition fired by Israeli troops. Other injuries included asphyxiation from tear gas and injuries from rubber-coated steel bullets.
Protests were held in six areas in the Gaza Strip, along the border with Israel.
Israeli troops attacked all of these protests with live ammunition and so-called non-lethal weapons, resulting in the death of one protester and the critical injury of another. The Israeli military issued a statement, “[Israeli] soldiers are responding with riot dispersal means. During the riots [Israeli] soldiers fired selectively towards two main instigators and hits were confirmed.”
Firing live ammunition at non-violent protesters is a direct violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Tires were burned in the city of Bethlehem, where Christians from around the world had just days ago gathered in celebration of the Christmas tree in Manger Square, the church built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born. To protest the U.S. President’s statement denying Palestinian rights, Christian leaders in the city decided to engage in a ‘Christmas blackout’ protest, turning off the lights of the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations.
The army used live fire, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades in attacking the protesters.
The soldiers and undercover officers also invaded the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, in Beit Jala nearby city, looking for wounded Palestinians.
In Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinian Muslim worshipers attempted to reach the al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, for Friday prayers. Many were blocked by Israeli police checkpoints, and prevented from reaching the mosque.
Protesters gathered outside the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem – an area that has been a Palestinian area for over 2000 years, until Israeli settlers began to push out the Palestinian population over the past ten years through violent takeovers of Palestinian homes and apartment buildings, forcing out the Palestinian families who lived there and forcing them into homelessness.
Overnight, at least thirteen Palestinians were abducted by Israeli troops in different areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank, as protests that began Thursday continued through the night.
Around the world, protests continued on Friday, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in non-violent marches in Amman, Jordan, in Turkey, in Malaysia, in Istanbul, Turkey and in other cities and towns across the world. At least 10,000 people were estimated at the protest in Istanbul, and more than 5,000 gathered in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. In Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy, some holding signs reading “Trump is the enemy of humanity”.
All of these protests were peaceful, and none resulted in injuries, except those in the Palestinian Territories, where the protest marchers were violently assaulted by the occupying Israeli military.
Palestinian killed, 379 injured in protests against Trump's move
One Palestinian was killed and 379 were injured on Friday in the "Day of Rage" protests over the US announcement of Jerusalem as the capital of "Israel".
Spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qedra, announced that a 29-year-old Palestinian was killed and 134 others were injured in confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces in several areas east of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Red Crescent crews also said on Friday that they have attended to at least 245 injuries in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
These confrontations followed calls by Hamas movement and other Palestinian factions on the Palestinian people to take to the streets in protest at Donald Trump's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Under the instructions of the chief of general staff of the Israeli army, Gadi Eizenkot, a state of alert was announced and reinforcements were summoned as clashes escalated across the West Bank and east of the Gaza Strip.
7 dec 2017
Israel's foreign ministry and its missions abroad have been instructed to put out feelers to see if other countries are willing to follow US president Donald Trump's lead in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and also move their embassies to it.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
Head of Hamas’s political bureau Ismail Haneyya has said that the Palestinian people will start a fresh intifada (uprising) in response to US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
In a speech, Haneyya affirmed that the Palestinian people would rise up against the Israeli occupation and defend their Jerusalem.
“As we are facing this new equation and such defining political turn resulting from this decision (of Trump), we are demanded to take decisions, formulate policies and develop strategies to confront this new conspiracy against Jerusalem and Palestine,” Haneyya stated.
“In view of such blatant and blind bias from the US administration and this diabolical alliance that allows itself to decide the fate of Jerusalem and its status, we must be as clear as the sun and state our position unequivocally and unambiguously,” Haneyya said.
“Jerusalem is united with no east or west. It is a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic city and the capital of the State of Palestine,” he emphasized.
“I say today that Palestine is also a one contiguous and united land extending from the sea to the river and cannot be divided into two states or entities. Palestine and Jerusalem are ours and we do not recognize any legitimacy conferred upon the occupation.”
“There is no Israel on the land of Palestine in order for it to have a capital,” the Hamas official underlined.
In a speech, Haneyya affirmed that the Palestinian people would rise up against the Israeli occupation and defend their Jerusalem.
“As we are facing this new equation and such defining political turn resulting from this decision (of Trump), we are demanded to take decisions, formulate policies and develop strategies to confront this new conspiracy against Jerusalem and Palestine,” Haneyya stated.
“In view of such blatant and blind bias from the US administration and this diabolical alliance that allows itself to decide the fate of Jerusalem and its status, we must be as clear as the sun and state our position unequivocally and unambiguously,” Haneyya said.
“Jerusalem is united with no east or west. It is a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic city and the capital of the State of Palestine,” he emphasized.
“I say today that Palestine is also a one contiguous and united land extending from the sea to the river and cannot be divided into two states or entities. Palestine and Jerusalem are ours and we do not recognize any legitimacy conferred upon the occupation.”
“There is no Israel on the land of Palestine in order for it to have a capital,” the Hamas official underlined.
All Palestinian national and Islamic forces and factions have declared Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to be days of total popular rage throughout Palestine and outside, calling on the masses of the Palestinian people to gather and sit-in in front of the Israeli embassies and consulates around the world.
Forces and factions called, in a press release, upon the people of Palestine, at home and abroad, for wide popular actions to spurn the attempts of the Trump administration to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem. or to recognize it as “Israel’s” capital.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, they underlined the people and nation’s rights to use all legal and diplomatic means at the level of the international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice and other judicial venues.
Meanwhile, Islamic resistance movement Hamas called upon the people of Palestine and the youth of Intifada to make next Friday a day of rage in the face of the Israeli occupation, in refusal of the move.
Hamas emphasized, in a press release, the necessity of heading towards all possible points of friction with the Israeli occupation, following the Friday prayer, to have the voice of the Palestinian people heard that any infringement of the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem will blow up in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Forces and factions called, in a press release, upon the people of Palestine, at home and abroad, for wide popular actions to spurn the attempts of the Trump administration to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem. or to recognize it as “Israel’s” capital.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, they underlined the people and nation’s rights to use all legal and diplomatic means at the level of the international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice and other judicial venues.
Meanwhile, Islamic resistance movement Hamas called upon the people of Palestine and the youth of Intifada to make next Friday a day of rage in the face of the Israeli occupation, in refusal of the move.
Hamas emphasized, in a press release, the necessity of heading towards all possible points of friction with the Israeli occupation, following the Friday prayer, to have the voice of the Palestinian people heard that any infringement of the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem will blow up in the face of the Israeli occupation.
6 dec 2017
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, on Wednesday affirmed that all options are open to challenge Donald Trump's decision to announce Jerusalem the capital of Israel and transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The Hamas leader, Ismail Ridwan, said during a demonstration in Gaza that Trump's decision constitutes a blatant disregard for the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, stressing that this move will never change the fact that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine.
The PIC reporter said that thousands of Palestinians, including the head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Ismail Haneyya, on Wednesday evening participated in mass demonstrations organized by Hamas movement in Gaza city in protest at the US president's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Ridwan called on the Arab governments to expel the US and Israeli ambassadors from their countries and sever the economic and political relations with the US administration.
Ha asked the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold urgent meetings to support the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and take practical steps against the decision, praising the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his strong position against the US move.
Ashraf Zayed, a Hamas official, in a demonstration launched in the central Gaza Strip stressed the need to achieve national unity and called on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to end security coordination with the Israeli occupation.
The Hamas leader, Yousuf Farahat, in a statement to the PIC said that Trump's decision challenges the international law which considers Jerusalem an occupied city, urging the Arab masses to show their protest by boycotting the US and Israeli goods.
The Hamas leader, Ismail Ridwan, said during a demonstration in Gaza that Trump's decision constitutes a blatant disregard for the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, stressing that this move will never change the fact that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine.
The PIC reporter said that thousands of Palestinians, including the head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Ismail Haneyya, on Wednesday evening participated in mass demonstrations organized by Hamas movement in Gaza city in protest at the US president's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Ridwan called on the Arab governments to expel the US and Israeli ambassadors from their countries and sever the economic and political relations with the US administration.
Ha asked the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold urgent meetings to support the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and take practical steps against the decision, praising the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his strong position against the US move.
Ashraf Zayed, a Hamas official, in a demonstration launched in the central Gaza Strip stressed the need to achieve national unity and called on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to end security coordination with the Israeli occupation.
The Hamas leader, Yousuf Farahat, in a statement to the PIC said that Trump's decision challenges the international law which considers Jerusalem an occupied city, urging the Arab masses to show their protest by boycotting the US and Israeli goods.
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In a move that contradicts decades of US policy, flagrantly violates international law and signed peace agreements, and discards the Palestinian people’s basic rights, the sitting U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday unilaterally declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel.
The U.S. government now joins Israel as the only two countries in the world to claim that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. In 1947, when the United Nations recommended a partition plan for Palestine in order to create a Jewish state on what had been Palestinian land, the city of Jerusalem was recommended to remain an international city in which all would be welcome. |
Now, 70 years later, the U.S. administration has turned its back on that ideal in favor of an exclusive, Jewish city in which the Palestinian residents who have lived there hundreds, and, in some cases, thousands of years, can be forcibly displaced by the Israeli military and turned into refugees, to join the 5 million Palestinian refugees who already live in exile.
The move appears to be meant by Trump to enflame the tensions that he has already built between the U.S. and the Muslim world, as it comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow the travel ban to the U.S. that most legal experts say discriminates blatantly against Muslims.
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights summarized the enormity of this decision, saying, “U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a major shift in American policy and have significant implications for U.S. policy for Middle East Peace. For decades, the United States has held that this issue is one that must be mutually agreed upon by the parties, so recognizing Israel’s claims here and now ahead of an agreement is a marked shift from even the pretense of a balanced position on Jerusalem to a full backing of the Israeli position.”
Palestinians living in Jerusalem already live under martial law by the Israeli military, and face significant discrimination, underfunding of schools and services, denial of civil law and due process, and loss of land, homes and communities. Palestinians fear that this move by the U.S. administration will embolden the Israeli government and militia movement to expand their program of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem.
The move appears to be meant by Trump to enflame the tensions that he has already built between the U.S. and the Muslim world, as it comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow the travel ban to the U.S. that most legal experts say discriminates blatantly against Muslims.
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights summarized the enormity of this decision, saying, “U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a major shift in American policy and have significant implications for U.S. policy for Middle East Peace. For decades, the United States has held that this issue is one that must be mutually agreed upon by the parties, so recognizing Israel’s claims here and now ahead of an agreement is a marked shift from even the pretense of a balanced position on Jerusalem to a full backing of the Israeli position.”
Palestinians living in Jerusalem already live under martial law by the Israeli military, and face significant discrimination, underfunding of schools and services, denial of civil law and due process, and loss of land, homes and communities. Palestinians fear that this move by the U.S. administration will embolden the Israeli government and militia movement to expand their program of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem.
5 dec 2017
The Trump administration announced on Monday that it has not reached a decision yet on whether or not to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, despite the fact that the legal deadline for signing a presidential waiver on the matter was about to expire.
An announcement on the decision will be made “in coming days,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump was returning from a trip to Utah.
Trump had been due to decide whether to sign a waiver that would hold off relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, as every U.S. president has done since Congress passed a law on the issue in 1995.
But the officials have said Trump is likely to give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a step that would break with decades of U.S. policy and could fuel violence in the Middle East. They have said, however, that no final decisions have been made.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem before a final settlement is reached in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would hurt the peace process and heighten regional tensions.
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan also spoke on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and warned him against declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Over the weekend, senior Palestinian officials warned that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital or the relocation of the American embassy would put an end to peace talks. President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said Saturday that such a step is a dangerous development that would destabilize the region, while Hamas has called for a popular uprising to thwart such a "conspiracy."
An announcement on the decision will be made “in coming days,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump was returning from a trip to Utah.
Trump had been due to decide whether to sign a waiver that would hold off relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, as every U.S. president has done since Congress passed a law on the issue in 1995.
But the officials have said Trump is likely to give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a step that would break with decades of U.S. policy and could fuel violence in the Middle East. They have said, however, that no final decisions have been made.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem before a final settlement is reached in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would hurt the peace process and heighten regional tensions.
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan also spoke on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and warned him against declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Over the weekend, senior Palestinian officials warned that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital or the relocation of the American embassy would put an end to peace talks. President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said Saturday that such a step is a dangerous development that would destabilize the region, while Hamas has called for a popular uprising to thwart such a "conspiracy."
3 dec 2017
Pentagon and state department officials have warned US president Donald Trump of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying such step would have serious dimensions, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claimed.
According to the newspaper, those officials expressed their belief that such step would provoke great anger among the Palestinians and lead to security instability in Israel.
The step would also make US embassies under constant security threat and would lead to legal implications, the officials added.
Trump is likely to announce during the coming day that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a senior administration official said last Friday, a move that could inflame further tension in the Middle East.
Senior Palestinian officials also warned that such US move would have serious ramifications for the Palestinian question and the region.
Secretary-General of the PLO executive committee and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said, "Any American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will bring about the end of the Jerusalem cause. This cause is weighty and dealing with it is playing with fire."
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would "torpedo the peace process" and "destabilize the region."
Trump could make such incendiary declaration in a speech on Wednesday, though he is expected to again delay his campaign pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
According to the newspaper, those officials expressed their belief that such step would provoke great anger among the Palestinians and lead to security instability in Israel.
The step would also make US embassies under constant security threat and would lead to legal implications, the officials added.
Trump is likely to announce during the coming day that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a senior administration official said last Friday, a move that could inflame further tension in the Middle East.
Senior Palestinian officials also warned that such US move would have serious ramifications for the Palestinian question and the region.
Secretary-General of the PLO executive committee and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said, "Any American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will bring about the end of the Jerusalem cause. This cause is weighty and dealing with it is playing with fire."
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would "torpedo the peace process" and "destabilize the region."
Trump could make such incendiary declaration in a speech on Wednesday, though he is expected to again delay his campaign pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Hamas leader Ezzet Resheq has warned of the repercussions of the U.S. attempt to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
Resheq said on Twitter that any steps forward in such a direction amount to a barefaced provocation of Muslims’ sensitivity and a spark of anger that will explode in Israel’s face.
“The expected recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of an Israeli state is a slap on the face of all those who have laid a bet on peace talks stage-managed by the U.S. administration,” said Resheq. “The latter has never been fair toward the Palestinians and its biased agenda has always been in favor of the Israelis.”
According to Resheq, Trump’s projected move will never give the Israelis sovereignty over the occupied territories; nor will it alter the status quo in Occupied Jerusalem.
Defying longstanding American policy, U.S. President Donald Trump will give a speech on Wednesday recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to an Associated Press report on Friday.
Multiple reports surfaced this week that the president would for the second time waive a congressional mandate requiring the U.S. embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem. Trump would also take the dramatic step of formally recognizing the holy city—home to Muslims’ third holiest site—as Israel’s capital.
Resheq said on Twitter that any steps forward in such a direction amount to a barefaced provocation of Muslims’ sensitivity and a spark of anger that will explode in Israel’s face.
“The expected recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of an Israeli state is a slap on the face of all those who have laid a bet on peace talks stage-managed by the U.S. administration,” said Resheq. “The latter has never been fair toward the Palestinians and its biased agenda has always been in favor of the Israelis.”
According to Resheq, Trump’s projected move will never give the Israelis sovereignty over the occupied territories; nor will it alter the status quo in Occupied Jerusalem.
Defying longstanding American policy, U.S. President Donald Trump will give a speech on Wednesday recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to an Associated Press report on Friday.
Multiple reports surfaced this week that the president would for the second time waive a congressional mandate requiring the U.S. embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem. Trump would also take the dramatic step of formally recognizing the holy city—home to Muslims’ third holiest site—as Israel’s capital.
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas spoke over the phone Saturday to discuss the status of Occupied Jerusalem, according to state-run Turkish sources.
Erdoğan emphasized that an independent and sovereign Palestinian state should be established with Jerusalem as its capital.
The president reiterated Turkey's ongoing support for the just cause of the Palestinian people, adding that lifting restrictions on Gaza would significantly contribute to peace.
The Turkish president also highlighted the sanctity of Occupied Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Abbas, for his part, thanked Erdoğan for his position and support for the Palestinian cause and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The phone call comes amid media reports about purported plans by U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday.
Erdoğan emphasized that an independent and sovereign Palestinian state should be established with Jerusalem as its capital.
The president reiterated Turkey's ongoing support for the just cause of the Palestinian people, adding that lifting restrictions on Gaza would significantly contribute to peace.
The Turkish president also highlighted the sanctity of Occupied Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Abbas, for his part, thanked Erdoğan for his position and support for the Palestinian cause and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The phone call comes amid media reports about purported plans by U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday.
