Two Palestinians were killed and dozens more were injured in clashes along the Gaza Strip’s border with Israel that came in the wake of President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The Associated Press reports that more than 35 Palestinians were injured and that 30-year-old Mohammed Al-Masri was killed by live fire in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Agence France-Presse also reported a second Palestinian was killed in “anti-Trump clashes” in Gaza Friday.
{mosads}In a statement, the Israeli military said soldiers stationed along the border fence “fired selectively at two main instigators,” according to the AP.
The clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops are the first since Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. would break with long-standing policy and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He called the decision “a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and work towards a lasting agreement.”
Trump also announced plans to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from its current location in Tel Aviv, though he delayed that move by six months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s announcement, calling it a “historic day” that was an “important step towards peace.”
But Arab leaders warned that Trump’s decision would likely lead to unrest throughout the Middle East.
The militant Palestinian group Hamas said Trump’s decision “opens the gates of hell” and called for several days of protests. The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.
The U.S. Embassy in Jordan warned personnel to keep their children home from school following the announcement and the Jordanian government argued that Trump’s decision goes against the United Nations charter.