Clashes break out in the West Bank after Hamas calls Donald Trump's Jerusalem decision a 'declaration of war'

Israeli forces clashed with young Palestinians in street battles across the occupied West Bank yesterday as Hamas called for a “new intifada” in response to Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The Israeli military called up reinforcements in anticipation of larger clashes on Friday as thousands of young men are expected to take to the streets in protest after traditional Friday prayers.

The UN Security Council will also gather to discuss the inflamed situation in the Middle East after Britain and seven other states requested an emergency meeting in response to Mr Trump’s announcement.

Aftershocks of the US decision were also felt far beyond the region. In Amsterdam, a man with a Palestinian flag attacked a Jewish kosher restaurant in Amsterdam and demonstrators protested in cities across Pakistan.

Around 50 Palestinians suffered minor injuries during clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem. Young men hurled stones and set tyres alight to block roads while Israeli troops fired teargas and rubber bullets in response.

In Bethlehem wafts of smoke rose among the Christmas decorations which already been hung in the streets leading to the Church of the Nativity, the site where Jesus Christ is said to have been born.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said two rockets were fired from Gaza on Thursday evening but both projectiles crashed to the ground within Gaza before reaching Israel. The rockets are believed to have been fired by a smaller Salafist group and not Hamas.

"This Zionist policy supported by the US cannot be confronted unless we ignite a new intifada,” said Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, during a speech in Gaza. "The US decision is an aggression, a declaration of war on us, on the best Muslim and Christian shrines in the heart of Palestine, Jerusalem."

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group supported by Iran, said he supported the call for a new Palestinian intifada soon after the Hamas speech.

Both Hizbollah and Hamas have considerable arsenals but neither group said that they planned to turn them on Israel in retaliation for Mr Trump’s announcement.

Israeli intelligence has said in the past that it believes neither Hamas nor Hizbollah is eager for a  direct military confrontation with Israeli forces but both would like to incite a mass uprising by ordinary Palestinians. 

The move was met with broad condemnation from the US's allies in the West and the Middle East. Boris Johnson on Thursday said the move was "not helpful". EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini yesterday said the move could "send us backwards to even darker times". 

The Palestinian leadership said they were still formulating their response to the US decision and did not announce any concrete steps in response.

Mike Pence, the US vice president, is due to visit Bethlehem in ten days time but Muhammad Shtayyeh, a senior official in the governing Fatah party, said the Palestinians were weighing whether to withdraw their invitation.

“President Trump has made the US totally irrelevant when it comes to the peace process,” Dr Shtayyeh said.

The US embassy in Jordan suspended services after facing protests in the capital of Amman. US diplomatic posts across the Muslim world are expecting protests on Friday and warned US citizens that some of the demonstrations “have the potential to become violent."

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Jerusalem - Israel

Israelis continued to celebrate the US recognition of Jerusalem as their capital and headline “Thank You, Mr President” was splashed across the front of the Israel Hayom newspaper, which is owned by Sheldon Adelson, a pro-Israel US casino mogul who urged Mr Trump to make the move.

The Israeli city of Kiryat Yam announced that it would name a park after Mr Trump as a sign of its gratitude for his decision. "Donald Trump proved to the entire world that Jerusalem is in his heart and we will prove to him in this way that he is in our hearts," said David Even Zur, the city’s mayor.

The Czech Republic announced Wednesday it was partially following the US lead and would recognise west Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he had been contacted by “other countries which will issue a similar recognition”.

Israeli media reported that both the Philippines and Hungary - which are both led by authoritarian leaders who admire Mr Trump - were also considering moving their embassies.