Palestinian dies of sustained wounds caused by clash with Israeli

GAZA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man from Gaza who was critically wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers early this month died of his wounds Sunday morning, the health ministry of the Gaza Strip said.

The young man, who was wounded on the borders with Israel on Dec. 8, died at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, according to Ashraf al Qedra, spokesman of Gaza's health ministry.

He said that the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers' gunfire climbed to 12 since U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel on Dec. 6.

The ministry said in an emailed statement that more than 3,000 people were injured with different kinds of Israeli ammunition and tear gas used by the Israeli army and police forces.

Trump's announcement over the contested city has sparked rounds of violent clashes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as well as protests in other Arab countries.

Leaders of the Islamic Hamas movement and other factions are still calling for escalation of the conflict until Trump's declaration is toppled, according to the factions' statements.

The status of Jerusalem, a holy city in three major Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, remains one of the main sticking points for the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as both Israelis and Palestinians see Jerusalem as their capital. Enditem