Skirmishes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have broken out in the West Bank in protest against Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.

The IDF announced on Thursday that it had deployed battalions as reinforcements after the Palestinian Authority called for a general strike.

In Gaza, Hamas also urged its followers to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising – or Third Intifada – against Israel.

At a checkpoint in Ramallah, Israeli forces fired dozens of rounds of tear gas and stun grenades at hundreds of Palestinian protestors, who had burned tires and pelted soldiers with rocks.

And dozens of Palestinians gathered at two points on the Gaza border fence to throw rocks at soldiers on the other side, the Reuters news agency reported.

Some could reportedly be heard chanting: “Death to America! Death to the fool Trump!”

The US President reversed decades of Middle East foreign policy yesterday by officially recognising Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, despite indications that it would upset the Arab and Muslim worlds, and potentially destabilise the region.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, warned in a speech: “We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy.”

Mr Haniyeh also encouraged followers to hold mass rallies against the US decision, promising a “day of rage”.

Mr Trump also announced the decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a move which was blocked by his predecessors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement, calling it an “historic landmark”, and urged other countries to follow suit.

Other Western allies, including the UK and France, have been critical of the decision.