Hamas leader calls for new intifada

Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh has called for a new intifada (a Palestinian uprising) on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported.

"We call on all the free people of Palestine to participate in "a day of rage" on Friday and make it the beginning of a new intifada," he said. "Tomorrow, our people will launch an intifada against the occupation and we are confident that we will achieve a victory and liberate our sacred land," Haniyeh added.

He stressed that a united Jerusalem was the capital of all of Palestine.

According to Haniyeh, "an order has been given to all the Hamas units to be ready to counter any threat."

Haniyeh announced termination of the peace process in the Middle East.

"In the light of the new priorities, the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis was sacrificed, and there will be no 'deal of the century,'" the Al Jazeera TV channel quoted him as saying.

According to Haniyeh, the statement made by US President Donald Trump on recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the transfer of the American embassy there from Tel Aviv "has put an end to the Oslo agreements and buried the Middle East peace process for good." "This decision spells a start of a new political phase," he noted.

Haniyeh noted that "Palestine, that is facing an unjustified decision, should reconsider its priorities." "With the challenge faced by us, there is no recognition of legitimacy of the occupation on Palestinian soil," he added.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that "it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." He added that his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.