Pyongyang condemns US 'reckless, wicked act' on Jerusalem

North Korea has lambasted the “reckless, wicked act” by US President Donald Trump in recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, saying the move shows “who is the destroyer of world peace.”

In a statement released Saturday on state media, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said Pyongyang “strongly condemns” the US al-Quds move and expressed “firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights.”

“The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act,” it added.

In remarks carried out by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), an unnamed spokesman for the North's Foreign Ministry said that Trump’s move was not surprising as he had openly called for the total destruction of North Korea.

“This move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community,” the official said.

In recent months, Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un have traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions run high over the North’s missile and nuclear programs.

During his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Trump, who had formerly threatened Pyongyang with “fire and the fury like the world has never seen,” renewed the threat and said the US would “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary.

The US president on Wednesday defied global warnings and said Washington formally recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and would begin the process of moving its embassy to the occupied city, breaking with decades of American policy.

The announcement has triggered a chorus of condemnations from around the world.

The Palestinian deputy ambassador to the UN, Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, said in a letter to the UN Security Council late Wednesday that Trump’s move violated numerous resolutions that prohibit changes to the status of Jerusalem al-Quds.

She warned that the provocative move would only aggravate the already-heightened tensions, and could lead to “a never-ending religious war.”

Palestinian leaders declared Friday as the “day of rage” against Israel and the US.

Clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters after Friday prayers across the occupied West Bank as well as the besieged Gaza Strip. At least two Palestinians were killed and about 770 others were injured during the unrest on Friday.

Palestinians continue to clash with Israeli troops in dozens of West Bank hotspots and along the Gaza border.

At least 20 Palestinians sustained injuries during heavy clashes between Israeli forces and protesters rallying in the West Bank on Saturday.

Israel lays claim to the entire city of Jerusalem al-Quds as its “capital,” while Palestinians want its eastern part as the capital of their future state.

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