Palestinian succumbs to wounds sustained in Gaza border clashes

A Palestinian teenager has died after succumbing to wounds he sustained during clashes with Israeli forces near the eastern border of the Gaza Strip in a protest against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital.

Spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qidra, said in a statement that Mohammad Sami al-Dahduh, 19, from Gaza City died of his wounds on Sunday morning.

Dahduh was shot and injured on December 15 during an anti-US demonstration east of Gaza City.

His death brings to 12 the number of Palestinians killed since Trump’s controversial decision on Jerusalem al-Quds.

The development came a day after a Palestinian man died of his wounds sustained in clashes with Israeli forces along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel last week.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the victim as 28-year-old Sharif al-Abd Shalash from Jabalia refugee camp, located 3 kilometers north of Jabalia.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital and relocate the US embassy in occupied territories from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

The dramatic shift in Washington’s policy vis-à-vis the city triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and other Muslim countries.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli “capital.”

In an attempt to avert the resolution, Trump had warned that “we’re watching,” threatening reprisals against countries that back the measure, which earlier faced a US veto at the UN Security Council.

Israel, however, rejected the world body’s resolution while thanking Trump for his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians hoping that the eastern part of the city would eventually serve as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.