Jerusalem protests: Israel launches air strike on Gaza amid violent clashes, 'injuring at least 14 people' - as it happened
Follow the latest live as hundreds of extra Israeli police respond to Hamas’ call for Palestinian day of rage
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All eyes were on Jerusalem’s Old City for anticipated protests on Friday in the wake of Donald Trump’s decision to recognise the city as the capital of Israel.
Israelis and Palestinians alike braced themselves for a day of rage called for by various Palestinian political groups to protest the US’ move.
On Friday morning the city’s streets were quiet but hundreds of extra police patrolled the city centre in anticipation of protests after midday prayers.
And as people poured out of mosques in the West Bank for peaceful planned marches, hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah.
Strikes and demonstrations are expected across Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, as well as solidarity protests throughout the region and wider Muslim world, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
More than 50 people were injured in low-level clashes across the West Bank on Thursday. Friday, the Muslim holy day, is usually a bellwether for further violence in the intractable conflict.
The Israeli authorities often impose age limits on access to Jerusalem's al Aqsa mosque barring younger men during periods of increased tensions, but the compound remained open to all on Friday.
Officers would respond to any disruptions, Israeli police said.
The contested city of Jerusalem is claimed by both sides as their capital and control of it is one of the major stumbling blocks to a lasting peace deal in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Mr Trump broke away with decades of existing US policy and the terms set out in the 1993 Oslo peace accords in his Wednesday announcement that the US would recognise the holy city as Israel’s capital and relocate its embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital
Show all 22Though the US administration insisted that the move acknowledges “current reality”, the symbolism has been taken to mean that the US has sided with Israel in the intractable conflict.
The US has been seeking to resurrect talks between Israel and the Palestinians since Mr Trump took office. The president has previously described brokering an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict “the ultimate deal”.
While welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and many other world leaders have expressed concern the controversial move could spark renewed violence in the Middle East and serve as a call to arms for Islamic extremist movements such as Isis and al Qaeda.
Several US allies - including the UK, France and Saudi Arabia - have publicly disagreed with the move.
On Thursday, Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh called on the Palestinian people to rise up in a new intifada.
“We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy,” he said in a speech from Gaza.
“This will not stop until the liberation of Jerusalem and the West Bank,” he added.
Hamas made no mention of utilising its own arsenal to attack Israel, but fears of violence in the volatile region continue to grow.
Observers remain hopeful the relatively low levels of violence seen during protests on Thursday mean Friday will also pass without major incident.
The Israeli military said there have been protests at 30 locations across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, numbering around 3,000 people in total.
At least 13 people were injured by live fire and 47 by rubber bullets. Dozens more suffered from tear gas inhalation, Red Crescent paramedics said.
Six arrests were made.
Protests in Jerusalem appear to be winding down as the daylight fades. There is still some ongoing violence in the West Bank and Gaza.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that although President Trump has recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the final status of the city has "not been indicated".
He said the US is making it clear that the divided city's borders will be left to Israelis and Palestinians to "negotiate and decide".
Mr Tillerson was speaking alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at a news conference in Paris.
One Palestinian has been shot dead by the Israeli army in clashes in the Gaza border, the Palestinian Health Ministry has said.
A second Palestinian man has been killed in today's clashes, Gaza officials said.
United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov has warned that there is a risk of violent escalation in response to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"There is a serious risk today that we may see a chain of unilateral actions, which can only push us further away from achieving our shared goal of peace," Mladenov told the UN Security Council.
The Security Council meeting was requested by Britain, France, Sweden, Bolivia, Uruguay, Italy, Senegal and Egypt.
Britain has called on the United States to put forward detailed proposals for peace between Israel and the Palestinians and described as "unhelpful" a decision by President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Amid anger in the Arab world and concern among Washington's Western allies, the United Nations Security Council met on Friday at the request of eight of the 15 members - Britain, France, Sweden, Bolivia, Uruguay, Italy, Senegal and Egypt.
"These decisions are unhelpful for the prospects of peace in the region," British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of the US move, which includes plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
"We strongly encourage the U.S. administration to bring forward detailed proposals for an Israeli, Palestinian settlement," he said. "The UK will also do everything we can to support progress and achieve the vision of a lasting peace."
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the Washington has credibility as a mediator with both Israel and the Palestinians and accused the United Nations of damaging rather than advancing peace prospects with unfair attacks on Israel.
"Israel will never be, and should never be, bullied into an agreement by the United Nations, or by any collection of countries that have proven their disregard for Israel's security," Haley said.
The United States cannot broker the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday, in response to President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"We reject the American decision over Jerusalem. With this position the United States has become no longer qualified to sponsor the peace process," Mr Abbas said in a statement. He did not elaborate further.
After the UN meeting in a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and Italy said the decision by Washington, which includes plans to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, was "unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region."
"We stand ready to contribute to all credible efforts to restart the peace process, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, leading to a two-State solution," they said. "We encourage the US Administration to now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement."
Palestinian security sources have claimed that 10 people have been injured in an Israeli air strike on Gaza
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