The Israeli army announced an increased presence in the West Bank and near Gaza on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump’s peace plan sparked outrage among Palestinians.
The plan was widely cheered in Israel but sparked fury among Palestinians, with protests breaking out in the West Bank and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
One rocket was fired from the strip on Wednesday night. The Israeli army said in response it had conducted airstrikes on Hamas targets in the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces clashed in various locations in the West Bank and further Palestinian protests are expected in the coming days.
“Following the ongoing situation assessment, it has been decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria and Gaza Divisions with additional combat troops,” the army said, using the Israeli terms for the West Bank.
The terms have been roundly rejected by Palestinian leaders, with Mahmoud Abbas vowing the proposal would end up in the dustbin of history.
Mr Abbas is expected to visit the UN in the next two weeks to address the Security Council and explain his rejection of the plan.
Hamas said it could never accept anything short of Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).