Hamas leader calls for uprising to make Trump ‘regret’ Jerusalem announcement

The leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas is calling for a new uprising against Israel in response to President Trump’s announcement the U.S. would officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. 

“The American decision is an aggression on our people and a war on our sanctuaries,” Ismail Haniyeh said on Thursday in comments reported by The Associated Press.

{mosads}“We want the uprising to last and continue to let Trump and the occupation regret this decision,” he continued. 

Haniyeh called for the uprising, or “intifada,” to take effect on Friday. 

While there were few early signs of violence in response to Trump’s announcement, Palestinians have shuttered schools and shops in preparation, while the Israeli military announced it would deploy several battalions to the West Bank, according to the AP. 

The State Department on Tuesday warned U.S. citizens to avoid Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank over fears of protests and violent reaction to the president’s announcement. 

Trump’s announcement is likely to cause unrest among Palestinians because they demanded that part of Jerusalem be set aside as their capital.

While Israel has viewed the holy city as its own capital, the international community has traditionally viewed Tel Aviv as the country’s capital.