The US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel on January 21, 2018 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Israel's Minister of Transportation and Intelligence Israel Katz welcomed the decision, which takes place on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of US-Israel diplomatic ties. Last week, the US Department of State announed that in the draft budget for 2019, Trump’s administration is prioritizing funding for a US Embassy facility in Jerusalem which will begin once design and construction plans are finalized.

The same day, a number of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza and the occupied West Bank in their weekly protest against Trumps’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 25 people were reported injured in clashes with Israeli security forces in Gaza.