“Day of Rage” demonstrations turned deadly on Friday, as clashes continued between Palestinians and Israeli forces after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy to the contested city.
Israeli soldiers fatally shot a 30-year-old Palestinian man near the Gaza border, Reuters reported. A Gaza hospital official later confirmed a second person had died of their injuries. Live fire and rubber bullets also injured scores of people, the news outlet added, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service.
More than 200 people have been wounded across the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem so far, including 50 who required hospital treatment. The anti-Israel protests have stretched into a third consecutive day after Trump made his widely condemned announcement Wednesday.
Haaretz reported a rocket struck the city of Sderot on Friday afternoon.
“Emotions are very high here, and it doesn’t take much to kick things off,” said Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, speaking in front of Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli forces reportedly responded to scuffles in at least 30 different locations with rubber bullets and tear gas. The army said hundreds of demonstrators threw stones at soldiers and rolled burning tires toward them. Troops have reportedly handcuffed, detained, teargassed and used water cannons against protestors.
Thousands of people also gathered in protest in Algeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Malaysia, Kashmir, Iran and Indonesia. U.S. embassies across these regions tightened security in anticipation of further demonstrations, and urged U.S. citizens to avoid the gatherings.
Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem this week enraged Palestinians, who say the decision hampers or destroys chances for a two-state peace deal. For decades, U.S. policy has stated that Israelis and Palestinians should negotiate the city’s status among themselves.
Many leaders in the Arab world and beyond ― including U.S. allies ― swiftly condemned Trump’s controversial decision to reverse the policy. The group included the governments of Lebanon, France, Turkey, the U.K., Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “courageous and just” decision.
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, called for a new uprising, or “intifada,” beginning Friday, against Israelis. The Palestinian Authority announced that Vice President Mike Pence, who was set to visit the region later this month, is no longer welcome in Palestinian territories.
Israel’s army launched strikes on two locations inside the Gaza Strip on Thursday, targeting Hamas, according to Israeli media reports. The strikes appeared to be retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza earlier in the day.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday meeting to discuss the embassy relocation. In a joint statement, the ambassadors of France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.K. expressed their disappointment.
“We disagree with the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” they said. “The status of Jerusalem must be determined through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians leading to a final status agreement.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the protests as the reason that some United Nations Security Council members called for a meeting; rather, it was the announcement of the embassy’s relocation that prompted calls for a meeting.