S President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital sparked Palestinian protests, sporadic clashes and a call for a new intifada on Thursday as fears grew of fresh bloodshed in the region.

Israel’s military deployed hundreds more troops to the occupied West Bank amid uncertainty over the fallout, while sporadic clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces erupted in various areas.

In a speech in Gaza City, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya called for a new intifada, or uprising.

Within hours several projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.

One hit Israeli territory, prompting the army and air force to retaliate by targeting “two terror posts” in Gaza, it said, blaming Hamas, the enclave’s Islamist rulers.

Hamas has called for a “day of rage” against Trump’s decision after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday.

On Thursday demonstrations were held in West Bank cities including Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus, as well as in Gaza.

Israeli forces dispersed hundreds with tear gas at a checkpoint entrance to Ramallah, while the Palestinian Red Crescent reported 22 people wounded from live fire or rubber bullets in the West Bank.

Five Palestinians were wounded from Israeli fire in Gaza as dozens protested near the barrier sealing off the enclave from Israel, Gazan authorities said.

Russia said it viewed the move with “serious concern” and Saudi Arabia called it “unjustified and irresponsible”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it would put the region in a “ring of fire”.Angry protests were staged in Amman and Tunis.

Palestinian leaders were outraged, with president Mahmud Abbas saying Trump had disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict.

Abbas discussed the issue with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

In a joint statement, they said “any measure tampering with the legal and historical status of Jerusalem is invalid” and warned Trump’s decision would “have dangerous repercussions”.

In Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, called for a mass demonstration on Monday “to protest and denounce this American aggression”.

Palestinian shops in east Jerusalem, including the Old City, as well as in the West Bank were largely shuttered and schools closed in answer to a general strike call.

“By this decision, America became a very small country, like any small country in the world, like Micronesia,” Salah Zuhikeh, 55, told AFP in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Trump’s move left many angry US allies struggling to find a diplomatic response.

Through gritted teeth, Britain described the move as “unhelpful” and France called it “regrettable”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “we... disagree with the decision last evening”.

Eight countries including Britain, France and Italy pressed for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response, which was set for Friday.