Guatemala prepares to move embassy to Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AA) – Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales arrived in Israel on Tuesday ahead of the opening of his country’s embassy in Jerusalem.

Morales is expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will attend the opening of the embassy on Wednesday.

Guatemala will be the second country to open an embassy in Jerusalem after the United States, which relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday.

Paraguay is also preparing to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem soon, according to the Israeli premier.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Palestine-Israel conflict, with Palestinians seeking East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

On Monday, at least 60 Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured in protests marking the Nakba anniversary and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

Angry with the Israeli violence against Gaza protesters, Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel and the U.S. for consultations. South Africa also recalled its envoy from Israel.

Since the protests began on March 30, more than 109 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed and hundreds injured by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.