RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Fatah faction of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Saturday called for demonstrations next week when US Vice President Mike Pence visits Jerusalem, after Washington's policy shift on the holy city. The move has stirred global condemnation and sparked angry protests across Arab and Muslim countries, as well as deadly clashes in the occupied territories between Palestinians and Israeli forces. Fatah called for a day of "protests" on Wednesday near Jerusalem and the Old City "against the visit of the American vice-president and Trump's decision" to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a statement said. Israel seized control of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Middle East war and sees the whole of Jerusalem as its undivided capital. Funerals were also held for the two other Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, where the enclave's Islamist Hamas rulers had on Friday called for a "day of rage".

Source: New Strait Times December 16, 2017 14:15 UTC