Thousands attend funerals for 4 Palestinian martyrs

Thousands attended on Saturday the funerals of four Palestinians, who were martyred during clashes with Israeli forces a day earlier.

Hundreds of mourners laid Mohamed Amin Akel, 22, to rest in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Akel died of his wounds on Friday after he was shot multiple times by Israeli forces -- after allegedly stabbing an Israeli soldier in the city.

Basel Ibrahim was also buried in his hometown village of Anata in northern Jerusalem after he was martyred in clashes with Israeli forces in the village.

In the Gaza Strip, thousands of mourners attended the funeral procession of two Palestinians shot dead during clashes with Israeli forces near border between Gaza and Israel.

The funeral was attended by Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and a number of leaders of Palestinian factions in the strip.

At least seven Palestinians have been martyred in clashes -- and hundreds more injured -- since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The dramatic shift in U.S. policy has drawn a storm of condemnation and protest across the Arab and Muslim world.

At a Tuesday summit convened in Istanbul, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation responded to the U.S. move by recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967-- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.