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LIVE: Two dead, hundreds injured as 'day of rage' protests erupt across Palestine

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LIVE: Two dead, hundreds injured as 'day of rage' protests erupt across Palestine

After 70 years, Donald Trump did on Wednesday what no previous US president has done – recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The announcement has sparked anger and protest across the Middle East while being welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and supporters of Israel.

Leaders in Gaza and the West Bank have called for a strong response, with protests in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli soldiers were deployed in anticipation of unrest.

We’ll be bringing you live updates here.

Feel free to leave comments and news tips below; we’re also on Twitter @MiddleEastEye and Facebook.

Photo: Israeli soldiers continue to fire rubber bullets and tear gas on Palestinian protesters in Gaza today (MEE/Hind Khoudary)

Live Updates

6 years ago

Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand-Sheikh of Al-Azhar, has made it clear that he "refuses" to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the Middle East in coming days.

Tayeb who was appointed under former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said: "no meetings should take place with those who create rigged history."

Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb leaves Al Rawdah mosque on Friday (Reuters)

6 years ago

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, said it would continue to provide "energetic" support to both Israelis and Palestinians. 

He used his address to call upon a peace process to be facilitated via Egypt and called on America to explain why it made its decision and under what grounds. 

Nebenzya said: "Particular attention should be given to the freedom of access to the holy places of Jerusalem."

He added: "Fair and reliable settlement based on the well-known basis of international law." 

6 years ago

China's UN representative reaffirmed its support for the two-state solution and said that its position will not change. 

It's representative cited fears of this issue being hijacked by groups in the Middle East and cited concerns it will create instability. 

The representative used his speech to also propose China's three possible solutions to support the two-state solution:

1) Advancing processes of the political settlement based on two-state solution.

2) Cooperative and coordinated security.

3) Promoting peace through development.

6 years ago

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.

Rocket sirens were sounded on Friday night in southern Israel and communities near the Gaza Strip, reported Haaretz.

The cities Ashkelon and Sderot were included in the alert, as well as a number of communities around the Gaza enclave.

6 years ago

Sacha Llorenty, Bolivia's UN ambassador, described Trump's move as a "move against international law" and that "the decision further exacerbates turmoil in the Middle East."

"This decision will not only impact Israelis and Palestinians but the whole region...it will be exploited by radicals," said Llorenty. 

He added: "It's necessary to recall that though there are two parties they are not playing on a level field. One, Israel is the occupying force, and two, Palestine is the occupied."

6 years ago

Italy's position on Jerusalem "remains unchanged" and reiterated its support for a two-state solution achieved via a peace process that involves the Israelis and Palestinians.

"It will maintain its embassy to Tel Aviv and very concerned for unrest in the region," said Sebastiano Cardi, Italy's UN permanent ambassador. 

6 years ago

Francois Delattre, France's UN ambassador said that Paris "regrets" America's decision to move its embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.

"France recognises no sovereignty over Jerusalem and...do not recognise the annexation of the city," said Delattre. 

He added: "It is incumbent to reaffirm our collective agreement to international law especially on a situation like Jerusalem. Without an agreement on Jerusalem, there can be no peace agreement."

"Given its gravity and central position in the international imagination...it is critical that this does not give the pretext for no radical movement and morphe into an insurmountable religious conflict."

6 years ago

Olof Skoog who is Sweden's UN ambassador was one of many countries who called for the meeting. 

Skoog reiterated Sweden's opposition to Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and expresses reasons why:

1) Recognition of Jerusalem contradicts international law and that the city is a final status topic. 

2) Jerusalem being called Israel's capital has fuelled tension in a volatile and already turbulent region.

3) Risks pre-judging final status negotiations on whether Jerusalem will be the capital city of two states for two people. 

6 years ago

Three Palestinian journalists were injured on Friday while covering the anti-Trump protests in the Gaza Strip and West Bank cities.

In Ramallah, the Israeli army shot Ali Dar Ali, the correspondent of Palestine TV, near the settlement of Beit El.

Mahmoud Fawzi, a photographer for Ramsat production company, was injured in the head while covering confrontations in Qalqilya, north of the West Bank. 

An Anadolu Agency photographer, Mustafa Hassouneh, was injured after an Israeli tear gas canister hit his shoulder while he was documenting the clashes that occurred in the buffer zone in Jabalia, in the Gaza strip.

Meanwhile, footage from Damascus Gate in Jerusalem showed the Israeli forces pushing journalists away from the Old City where a protest started after the Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa mosque.

Translation: Mahmoud Fawzi, a photographer for Ramsat, injured in the head by the Israeli occupation while covering the confrontations in Kafr Qaddum in Qalqilya.

6 years ago

Matthew Rycroft, the UK's ambassador to the UN reiterated its disagreement with America's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"We reiterate the fundamental necessity of maintaining the status-quo of the Temple Mount and Haram al-Sharif," Rycroft told the UN meeting.

"We welcome the UN Secretary General's intent to return to meaningful negotiations and for a lasting peace."

6 years ago

Egypt's UN ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta describes America's decision to move the US embassy as "dangerous" and goes against the "framework of international legitimacy."

He said that Egypt "denounced the US decision to Jerusalem as Israel's capital" and that there would "grave negative impact on the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis."

Aboulatta also said that Trump's decision was a "violation of international legitimacy and thus has no impact on the legal status of the city of Jerusalem."

6 years ago

Nickolay E Mladenov who is the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process opens the session and gives a summary of events in Jerusalem:

"Jerusalem is one of the complex and captivating cities in the world.

"Only through constructive dialogue can we achieve peace. Mr President today we stand at a critical issue of this longstanding conflict...It is up to all of us in the international community to urgently advance a just solution." 

Mladenov also reiterates that the UN will continue to pursue a two-state solution and a split Jerusalem as part of final status negotiations. 

6 years ago

The Palestinian Health Ministry has retracted an earlier statement on the killing by Israeli forces of a second Palestinian in Gaza. 

Via AFP

6 years ago

The number of protests against Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem has widened during the past 24 hours. We've produced this graphic to highlight some of the more major ones at the current time. Bear in mind that the situation is fast-moving and that demonstrations are liable to erupt or disperse at short notice.