The strike happened near the town of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.

The Israeli military said a tank had fired at two suspects after suspicious activity near a security fence.

Palestinians have pitched tents on the border for a six-week protest dubbed the Great March of Return.

Palestinian sources say several Palestinians have now also been wounded by Israeli military fire near Jabaliya in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military oversees a no-go zone along the Gaza border, citing security concerns. It has warned Palestinians not to approach security fences.

Tent camps

Hamas, the militant group which dominates the Gaza Strip, has accused Israel of trying to intimidate Palestinians by killing the farmer and by urging them not to participate in the protests.

The Israeli foreign ministry has said the protest is a “deliberate attempt to provoke a confrontation with Israel” and that “responsibility for any clashes lies solely with Hamas and other participating Palestinian organisations”.

Relatives of the dead Palestinian grieve at a hospital in southern Gaza

Palestinian health officials named the dead man as 27-year-old Omar Samour and said a second man had been injured in the incident.

Witnesses say the two men were hit by tank fire while collecting parsley in a field, BBC Gaza producer Rushdi Abualouf reports.

Palestinians have erected five main camp areas along the Israel border for the protest, from Erez in the north to Rafah near the Egyptian border in the south.

The Great March of Return protests are starting on Friday, as 30 March marks Land Day, which commemorates the killing of six protesters by Israeli security forces during demonstrations over land confiscation in 1976.

Palestinians have pitched tents near the border, preparing for mass protests

The protest is scheduled to end on 15 May, which Palestinians call Nakba (catastrophe) and which marks the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the conflict surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948.

Rising tensions

By Sebastian Usher, Middle East editor, BBC World Service

Tents have been pitched by Palestinians in five locations on the edge of the buffer zone near the border. It is a sign that the protest, which has been dubbed the Great March of Return, is in it for the long haul.

Palestinian organisers – Hamas foremost among them – have urged tens of thousands of people to take part in the first protest.

Israel is wary, as tensions have once again been rising along the border with Gaza. The military has deployed more than 100 sharpshooters, while the foreign ministry has made clear it does not believe that Hamas intends the protest to remain peaceful.

Israeli soldiers on their side of the border with the northern Gaza Strip

All of this is happening in the shadow of the upcoming inauguration of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, which is set to happen in May – a development that may well help fuel the protest.

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Source: BBC

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On Twitter, Mr Trump said the United States received “no appreciation or respect” in return for its aid.

He also said his controversial recognition of the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital took the hugely divisive issue “off the table” for new peace talks.

Palestinians had said the move showed the US could not be a neutral broker.

Soon after Washington’s decision was announced in December, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would not accept any US peace plan for the Middle East.

The decision on Jerusalem was also overwhelmingly condemned at the United Nations, where 128 countries voted against Mr Trump’s fulfilment of a campaign promise.

The US President was tweeting a follow-up to earlier comments about aid payments to Pakistan, in which he said the US has received only “lies and deceit” in exchange for billions of dollars in aid.

It’s not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

…peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

–

Source: BBC

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“As provoked by Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, I am pleading with all Muslims to remain calm and focus on maintaining peace around the globe.”

The renowned Ghanaian Islamic scholar made the call in a Citi News interview on the sidelines at the 4th annual Mawlid of the Prophet of Islam organized in Tamale by the Bamba Islamic Institute, under the auspices of Masjidul Qudwah.

He presented a paper on the topic, “The humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam for the welfare of Muslims.”

Dr. Sibaway Zakaria commended the United Nations (UN) majority’s rejection of Donald Trump’s declaration which attracted global condemnation and protests in some Muslim nations.

“We need to show maturity, decorum and show some form of ability not to go blow for blow but to do things are acceptable. Look at what the UN did concerning that particular declaration of Jerusalem as the capital. They have voted against the issue and the majority of nations have decried what Trump has done.”

“That one alone sounds a warning to Trump. It means that the world is behind Palestinians because the world is looking at the issue of justice.”

Dr. Zakaria advised Donald Trump to apply wisdom and diplomacy in handling the age long land dispute between Palestinians and Israelis saying, “Perhaps it is for Trump and his allies to understand that if you have power at a point in time don’t misuse that power. Don’t think because you have power what you want must happen.”

“Power keeps on rotating. Power may leave your hand just as power left some people hands before you now have power.”

He also implored Muslims to promote gender equality by not treating women as infidels.

Dr. Zakaria underscored the need for Muslims to promote cleanliness in their communities in line with the humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam.

A senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Sheikh Dr. Al-Hussain Haazic Zakaria in a presentation on the topic, “Application of prophetic vision to the challenges of contemporary Islamic leadership,” admonished Muslims to choose leaders with vision and passion for socioeconomic development.

He stressed the need for Muslims to live exemplary lifestyles that will attract non Muslims to join Islam.

Dr. Al-Hussain Zakaria encouraged Muslim parents and guardians to nurture the youth to be responsible citizens.

Other speakers highlighted the significance of the humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam.

The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed appealed to Islamic Clerics to intensity their prayers for national cohesion.

He warned trouble makers in Dagbon to stop making inflammatory comments on Tamale based local radio stations.

Salifu Saeed reaffirmed government’s determination to bring to finality, the protected chieftaincy dispute between the Abudu and Andani royals in the Dagbon traditional area.

He disclosed government’s intention to recruit 3,000 Arabic Instructors in 2018 to promote circular education.

Spiritual leader and chief Imam of Masjidul Qudwa, Sheikh Amin Bamba prayed for the nation’s prosperity.

He condemned lateness to events christened, “African time,” which according to him, has affected the continent’s development.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Addressing a summit of the Organisation for Islamic Co-operation, he said the US decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital was “null and void”.

Mr Erdogan also again accused Israel of being a “state of terror”.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the US had “disqualified itself from playing a role in the peace process”.

“We shall not accept any role for the United States in the peace process. They have proven their full bias in favour of Israel,” he told the summit.

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Donald Trump has announced that the US will eventually move its embassy.

‘Diplomatic solution’

The BBC’s Mark Lowen in Istanbul says the rhetoric at the start of the OIC summit was strong.

But the question is what in practice the grouping can do, he adds, given the fact some members are more pro-Trump than others.

Our correspondent says various countries have only sent ministers to the meeting, possibly a sign of low expectation, and the reaction on the streets of the Muslim world to the Jerusalem issue has been relatively restrained.

Mr Erdogan threatened to cut Turkish ties with Israel before Mr Trump’s announcement last week, though he made no mention of this in his speech.

Turkey and Israel only restored diplomatic relations in 2016, six years after Turkey severed ties in protest at the killing of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists in clashes with Israeli commandos on board a ship trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Mr Erdogan instead urged a unified response by Muslim nations to Mr Trump’s Jerusalem decision.

“I invite all the countries that value international law and justice to recognise Jerusalem as the occupied capital of the Palestinian state,” he said.

“Those who fight with their friends forget to fight with their enemies,” he added. “We need a diplomatic solution. We have to stop Israel gaining more land from Palestine day by day. And we must not accept the policies and attitude Israel has been displaying day by day.”

–

Source: BBC

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Israel’s military said it hit weapons sites early on Saturday. Two people were killed, a Gaza hospital said, bringing the deaths in Israeli strikes and gunfire over the past day to four.

Three rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza late on Friday.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions have risen since President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Wednesday’s decision reversed decades of US neutrality on the matter.

Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in the 1967 war – as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Earlier on Friday, Fathi Hammad, a senior Hamas leader, said anyone seeking to move their embassy to Jerusalem was “an enemy of the Palestinians”.

Speaking before the United Nations on Friday, US ambassador Nikki Haley said the US “recognises the obvious; that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel”.

She said the US continued to be “committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement”, and accused the UN of bias, saying it “has outrageously been one of the world’s foremost centres of hostility towards Israel”.

“Israel will never be, and never should be, bullied into an agreement by the United Nations or by any collection of countries that have proven their disregard for Israel’s security,” Mrs Haley said.

Israel had deployed extra battalions to the West Bank in anticipation of violence after Palestinian leaders called for protests after Friday prayers.

At least 217 Palestinians were wounded in confrontations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Palestinian medics said.

There were protests held elsewhere on Friday against Mr Trump’s announcement.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters held demonstrations in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Tunisia and Iran.

Further afield, protesters rallied in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indian-administered Kashmir and Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

–

Source: BBC

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The US state department has been directed by President Donald Trump to begin moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The US’ decision is viewed as having hefty consequences because of the standing of Jerusalem to Israel and the Palestinians; two counties that have been in conflict for decades.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised as all countries situate their embassies in Tel Aviv.

East Jerusalem, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967 and has not been recognised as part of Israel until the US’ decision.

In an interview with Israeli media network, i24NEWS on Tuesday in relation to these developments, Prof. Oquaye said Ghana would abide with Israel’s wishes on the standing of Jerusalem because “whatever Israel wants, we in Ghana will go by that, because that is essentially an internal decision.”

The Speaker was in Israel as part of the “Power Africa” initiative where he also alluded to the strong “historical ties between Israel and Ghana.”

But with the knowledge of the volatile nature of Israel-Palestine relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated that the comments made by Prof. Ocquaye did not reflect Ghana’s foreign policy.

“While appreciating the interest taken by Rt. Hon. Mike Ocquaye, the Foreign Ministry wishes to emphasize that it is a personal view to which the Rt. Hn. Speaker is entitled,” a statement from the Ministry said.

The ministry emphasized the government’s neutral stance on the matter saying that “Ghana has always supported the position that the Palestinian-Isreali conflict should be resolved peacefully between the parties themselves and all the stakeholders involved. It is therefore important to all stakeholders and observers to remain neutral until final resolution by partners.”

The statement also noted that Ghana has generally called “for a fair and comprehensive resolution of the conflict.”

“While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration does not wish to stifle debates on this issue which is of international concern, the Minister will appeal to all well-minded persons to take cognizance of the sensitivity of the issue.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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US President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, senior administration officials have said.

But the officials said Mr Trump would not immediately move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The news comes ahead of an expected speech by Mr Trump on Wednesday.

Arab leaders earlier warned against moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, with one saying this would be “a flagrant provocation to Muslims”.

The status of Jerusalem – a holy site for Israelis and Palestinians – is extremely contentious.

Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital city, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

In recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the US becomes the first country to do so since the foundation of the state in 1948.

What is so contentious about Jerusalem’s status?

The issue goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians, who are backed by the rest of the Arab and wider Islamic world.

The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

In recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the US could reinforce Israel’s position that settlements in the east are valid Israeli communities.

What has the US just announced?

The Trump administration officials said recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was seen “a recognition of reality” by the US government.

However, specific boundaries of the city would remain subject to a final status agreement, the official said. The status of holy sites will not be affected.

Mr Trump also would direct the state department to begin the process of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem – but this could take several years.

He promised the move to pro-Israel voters during his campaign for the presidency.

The US officials added that the president would be signing a regular waiver blocking the embassy’s move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until the new building was completed.

Ahead of his formal announcement, Mr Trump phoned several regional leaders to tell them he intended to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

What’s been the world reaction?

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud told Mr Trump that the relocation of the embassy or recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world”.

The White House said the president spoke to Middle East leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

Among the reaction from those leaders:

• Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas warned “of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world”
• Jordan’s King Abdullah said the decision would “undermine efforts to resume the peace process” and provoke Muslims
• Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi urged Mr Trump “not to complicate the situation in the region”

US government employees and their families have been barred from personal travel in Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank for security reasons ahead of expected protests.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his country could sever ties with Israel if the US recognised Jerusalem as its capital.

And Ismail Haniya, the chief of the Islamist Hamas group that runs Gaza, said a shift of the embassy and recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would cross “every red line”.

France, the European Union and the Arab League have also expressed concern.

Israel’s intelligence minister Israel Katz told Army Radio that Israel was “preparing for every option”, including an outbreak of violence.

Why is this happening now?

Analysis by Barbara Plett-Usher, state department correspondent

By recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital President Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise. There is no other obvious reason he’s doing this now.

Administration officials said he would simply be acknowledging reality – that Jerusalem functions as Israel’s capital. They said the decision would not determine final status issues such as boundaries and sovereignty – that’s still left to negotiations.

On other core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arab and Muslim leaders might be able to work with changes in the US approach. But Jerusalem is also holy land, not just a disputed capital.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia are custodians of Islam’s holy sites and have issued strong warnings that this move could inflame the Muslim world.

There’s also no indication that this is a bargaining chip to advance the peace process: according to the officials, Trump’s not expected to publicly endorse a two-state solution.

It sounds like the Palestinians will get nothing. Perhaps there is a wider strategy at work, but it looks like a workaround so the president can satisfy his pro-Israel voters.

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