Palestinians killed in protests against Jerusalem move

Demonstrations against US recognition of Jerusalem turn deadly as Israeli troops open fire in Gaza and West Bank.

Protest against US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel''s capital

The death toll has risen to four as Israeli forces violently crack down on Palestinian protesters in besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Local media reported that an 18-year-old Palestinian, Muhammad Amin Aqel al-Adam, died after being shot by the Israeli military during Friday protests near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Adam allegedly attempted to attack Israeli forces.

Another Palestinian in the occupied West Bank was killed under similar circumstances hours earlier. Two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip died after being shot by Israeli forces during border protests.

The protests are in response to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6.

One of the men killed, 29-year-old Ibrahim Abu Thurayya, had lost his legs in previous Israeli offensives on the blockaded strip.

Palestinians have taken to social media to honour Abu Thurayya.

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Palestinians are also sharing a video of slain protester Abu Thurayya calling on Palestinians to protest Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that has been widely condemned by world leaders.

Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said a call to action by Palestinian groups and a unified response by Muslim countries had helped keep the protests going.

“There’s been a pretty loud and unified response that came from the delegates at the Turkey conference on Tuesday. The Palestinian factions have as well called for larger-scale protests,” he said.

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The recognition is seen as dismantling decades of US policy of working towards a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

Trump said these plans had not produced peace after years of negotiation.

“We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past.”

Source: Al Jazeera