Jerusalem (AFP) - The Israeli army said it would almost double the number of troops surrounding the Gaza Strip and in the occupied West Bank to tackle Palestinian protests against Monday's controversial opening of a US embassy in Jerusalem.
Three additional infantry brigades will be deployed next week, two around the Gaza Strip and one in the West Bank, army spokesman Jonathan Conricus told reporters on Saturday.
The move nearly doubles the number of fighting units currently serving, he said, without giving specific figures on troops to be deployed.
The announcement does not concern Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, where responding to protests is the responsibility of the police.
US President Donald Trump will not attend the opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, but his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law and key adviser Jared Kushner will.
A signature campaign promise, Trump's December announcement of the embassy move led to major protests in Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinians consider the eastern part of the city as their capital. READ MORE
