Israeli military doubling troops near Gaza ahead of U.S. embassy opening
Israeli troops during clashes with Palestinian protesters near Beit El settlement. Photo: NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Israeli military has announced it plans to nearly double the number of troops that surround Gaza and the occupied West Bank to control protests ahead of the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, the AFP reports.
The details: The embassy move is a key campaign promise of President Trump, and despite the significant acknowledgement to Israel that Jerusalem is its capital, it will likely lead to resistance from the Arab world. The additional enforcement "does not concern Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, where responding to protests is the responsibility of the police," AFP adds. President Trump will not be in attendance at the opening but is sending his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.