The Latest: Aide to Abbas confirms he won’t meet with…

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Latest on the fallout from the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (all times local):

11:45 a.m.

A senior official has confirmed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the West Bank this month because of U.S. recognition of contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Palestinian protesters look at teargas fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes on the Israeli border following a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

President Donald Trump’s recent decision breaks with long-standing U.S. policy. Israel says it won’t relinquish any part of the city, while the Palestinians want the Israeli-annexed eastern sector as their future capital.

Under international consensus, the city’s fate is to be determined in negotiations.

Abbas’ diplomatic adviser, Majdi Khaldi, said Saturday that Abbas won’t meet Pence “because the U.S. has crossed red lines” on Jerusalem.

Abbas had viewed close ties with Washington as strategically important because of the U.S. role as Mideast broker. The snub of Pence signaled a sharp deterioration in relations.

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10:15 a.m.

Gaza officials say two Hamas members have been killed in Israeli airstrikes following a rocket attack on Israel.

The Israeli military says it targeted four Hamas facilities early Saturday in response to rockets fired the previous day, including one that landed in the town of Sderot without causing casualties or major damage.

The military says it struck military warehouses and weapons manufacturing sites. Hamas says it recovered the bodies of two of its men.

Israel considers Hamas responsible for all rocket fire emanating from Gaza, which is home to other armed groups.

The conflagration was the latest fallout from President Donald Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops in dozens of West Bank hotspots Friday and along the Gaza border, where two were killed.

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