Donald Trump's Jerusalem move triggers calls for new Palestinian intifada

US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital has now prompted calls for a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising, from various Arabic forces including Iran and Hamas.

Despite global calls, Trump on Wednesday, 6 December announced that Washington would formally consider Jerusalem, an ancient city emotionally and religiously close to both Israel and Palestine, as the capital of Israel. There have been widespread calls saying the step would invariably destabilise the already-volatile region and dent any hopes for a peace process.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday has said there needs to be a revolt against Israel and the US over the announcement. "We must embark on a comprehensive popular intifada, just as our people in Jerusalem did," said Haniyeh in a televised broadcast referring to the series of demonstrations that took place earlier this year.

Haniyeh, the leader of a powerful force which wields a significant influence in the Gaza Strip, exhorted various Palestinian movements to cast aside their differences in order to put a massive show of strength and unity against Israel. Palestinians consider Jerusalem as a holy place and hope East Jerusalem will one day become their capital in the future.

"Hamas considers that such a decision represents a blatant attack by the United States of America on the city, and grants Israel the legitimacy to Jerusalem. This step constitutes a flagrant violation of international law as Jerusalem is an occupied territory," Hamas had earlier said.

Israel's arch-rival Iran has also warned that there will be an intifada emerging from the Arab world due to Trump's defiant step.

"The provocative and unwise decision by the U.S.... will provoke Muslims and inflame a new intifada and an escalation of radical, angry and violent behaviour," read a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry.

"Iran strongly condemns this move and urges the international community, influential countries and especially Islamic countries to prevent the implementation of this US action, which is only of benefit to the Zionist regime, to preserve the stability of the region," it added.

The Arabic term intifada, which literally translates to "tremor" or "shivering", is often used in the context of a large-scale rebellion in the Middle East region. Pertaining to the Palestinian affairs, two periods – 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005 – are frequently referred as First Intifada and Second Intifada.

Meanwhile, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also repeated his anger against Trump's move saying he will try to speak not just Pope Francis but also leaders of Russia, the UK, Germany, Spain and France regarding the US' move.

"There have been no other countries other than the US and Israel that have disregarded the 1980 U.N. decision regarding Jerusalem," said Erdogan before adding that Trump's announcement was clearly aimed at inciting violence in the region and would not help in the peace process.

"Taking such a step throws particularly this region into a ring of fire. What would you like to do [with this step], Mr Trump? What kind of stance is it?" asked the Turkish president in Ankara as he embarks on a visit to Greece.