Gaza Strip: 55 Palestinians killed while protesting US embassy in Jerusalem

At least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,771 were injured on Monday as Israeli troops fired on demonstrators along the Gaza-Israel boundary protesting the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, making it the deadliest day of violence since the 2014 Gaza war.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today accused Israel of "state terror" and "genocide" after Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians on the Gaza border.

In one of his most vehement broadsides ever against the Jewish state, Erdogan also announced three days of national mourning over the deaths, as well as a giant protest in Istanbul on Friday.

US blocks call for independent Gaza inquiry at UN

Despite the bloodshed, Trump hailed the move in a video message. He told the dedication ceremony that it had been a "long time coming", adding: "Israel is a sovereign nation with the right to determine its own capital but for many years we failed to acknowledge the obvious."

Israel's air-defense system intercepts two rockets fired from Gaza strip

Israeli army on Friday intercepted two rockets fired from the Gaza strip, while the third rocket fell near the Gaza border.
The Anadolu Agency quoted an Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth as saying that air-raid sirens were sounded in the border communities of Sdot Negev and Shaar Hanegev.

"The Iron Dome air-defense system intercepted two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip," the newspaper reported.

"A third rocket landed on a structure in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council in southern Israel," it added.

No casualties or material damage was reported.

United States President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital has prompted international criticism and sparked protests across the world.

Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, which is home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites.

However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state.
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Clashes in West Bank over Donald Trump's Jerusalem move

Clashes broke out on Friday between Palestinians and Israeli forces in several West Bank locations during protests over US President Donald Trump's decision of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The violence occurred after scores of Palestinians performed Friday prayers at the Israeli military checkpoint of Qalandia, north of the West Bank between Ramallah and Jerusalem.

The Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint threw teargas bombs and opened fire at the worshippers in an attempt to disperse them after prayers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Similar clashes were also reported in several locations including Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilia and Bethlehem.

Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli security forces in Bethlehem as hundreds demonstrated outside the Al-Aqsa mosque, CNN reported.

Metal security barriers were erected around the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City, a flashpoint for protests, and extra police officers were deployed to control crowds.

In Gaza, hundreds marched after the prayers on the Salah Al-Dein highway, which goes from the northern borders of the Gaza Strip towards the southern borders with Egypt.

Islamic Hamas movement leaders in Gaza called on supporters to head towards the bordering area and confront the Israeli soldiers stationed there.
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