International

More protests expected Saturday following Trump’s Jerusalem announcement

Israel’s military says it expects more protests Saturday in a third “day of rage” against President Trump’s declaration that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, The Associated Press reports.

Protesters reportedly amassed in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza City, where thousands of protesters denounced the decision by the Trump administration this week to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, reversing decades of U.S. policy.

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In Bethlehem, the AP reports protesters threw rocks at Israeli soldiers, resulting in the soldiers firing back with rubber bullets and tear gas.

The demonstrations come a day after two Palestinians were shot to death and dozens more were injured when soldiers clashed with protesters on Friday.

Israel also reported a number of rockets launched from Gaza, apparently with no casualties. Israel’s military responded to the rocket attacks by targeting Hamas facilities in Gaza, reportedly killing two militants.

A top adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the AP that Trump’s decision this week crossed a “red line” for the Palestinians. Abbas’s movement, Fatah, has called for mass protests in response to the decision.

“The U.S. crossed the red line in its decision about Jerusalem,” he said.

Hamas, a militant Palestinian Islamist group, reacted to the news this week with a call for a “third intifada,” or Palestinian uprising. The demands have largely fizzled, according to the AP, as Palestinians have lost confidence in their leaders.

Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced plans to begin moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

“This is a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and work towards a lasting agreement,” Trump said in his announcement.