Three Palestinians have died in Gaza during clashes with Israeli troops near the border, Palestinian officials say.

More than 100 were hurt in Gaza and the occupied West Bank amid fresh protests over Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

In the West Bank, an Israeli policeman was wounded in a Palestinian knife-attack, Israeli police say. He was shot and died later.

Violence has soared since Mr Trump's declaration on the contested city.

Israel regards the whole of Jerusalem as its indivisible capital, while Palestinians claim the eastern sector - occupied by Israel since 1967 - as the capital of a future state.

Mr Trump's affirmation of the Israeli position was condemned across the Arab and Muslim world, and hailed in Israel.

His announcement marked the end of decades of official US neutrality on the issue.

Stones and gunfire

Palestinian medical sources say the men were shot dead on the eastern and northern borders of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they were investigating the reports.

Clashes erupted following Muslim Friday prayers, as Palestinian demonstrators lit tyres and threw stones at Israeli troops, who fired tear gas and live rounds across the West Bank and over the border with the Gaza Strip, reports say.

On the outskirts of the West Bank city of Ramallah, a Palestinian stabbed a border policeman before the attacker was shot and wounded, police say.

Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police were investigating reports that the attacker may have been wearing an explosive vest. He died in hospital later.

Friday's deaths bring to eight the number of Palestinians killed in an escalation of violence with Israel since Mr Trump's declaration on 6 December.

Two of the dead were militants believed to have been killed in Gaza on Tuesday when explosives they were transporting went off accidentally.

As well as clashes on the ground over the past week, several mortars have been fired from Gaza into Israel, which has responded with air strikes on militant facilities there.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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