Demonstrators burn tires, shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags during a protest against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Gaza City, Gaza on December 07, 2017. Ali Jadallah | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

President Donald Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday, triggering immediate condemnation and concern from leaders in the Middle East and around the world. In a statement from the White House, the president defended his decision as "nothing more or less than a recognition of reality." Jerusalem's status has been , its Old City home to religious sites of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their spiritual capital, and these tensions have helped fuel the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Between "dangerous repercussions," a "red line" and a "declaration of war," international leaders' reactions reveal a consensus that the move will only make things in an already volatile region worse.

Hamas: 'A war declaration'

Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City on December 7, 2017. Haniya called for a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising. This Zionist policy supported by the US cannot be confronted unless we ignite a new intifada," the head of the armed Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip said in a speech. Majdi Fathi | NurPhoto

Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniya called for a new intifada, or uprising, in the face of Israel, labeling Trump's move a "war declaration against Palestinians." The announcement prompted riots in the streets of Gaza, where demonstrators burned tires and set fire to pictures of the U.S. president. "This decision has killed the peace process, has killed the Oslo (accord), has killed the settlement process," Haniya said, describing it "an aggression, a declaration of war on us, on the best Muslim and Christian shrines in the heart of Palestine, Jerusalem." The Gaza-based Sunni militant and political group, which the U.S. designates a terror organization, has long held to a policy of refusing to recognize Israel's existence as a state.

Palestinian Authority: US can no longer be mediator in peace process

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meets with US President Donald Trump (R) in New York, United States on September 21, 2017. Palestinian Presidency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas lambasted Trump's recognition of Jerusalem, saying he refused to acknowledge it and that this marked the end of America's role as mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Prior to Trump's official announcement, Abbas warned of "the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world."

This 'could fuel terrorism,' says Jordan's King Abdullah

Getty Images News

Jordan's King Abdullah told the American president his decision would have "dangerous repercussions on the stability and security of the region," according to a palace statement. "There is no alternative to a two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement," Abdullah later said from Turkish capital Ankara. Jordan is home to more than 2 million Palestinian refugees.

Saudi Arabia's royal court: 'Disappointment'

Saudi Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman. Fayez Nureldine | AFP | Getty Images

Trump's actions "exemplify a drastic regression in the efforts to move the peace process forward, and is a shift away from the United States' historically impartial position with regard to the issue of Jerusalem," Saudi Arabia's royal court said in a statement, adding that it "will further complicate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

Jerusalem decision 'undermines chances for peace,' says Egypt's Sisi

STR/Stringer | AFP | Getty Images

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed "the necessity of not complicating the state of the region by taking measures that would undermine the chances for peace in the Middle East." The country of 95 million is one of only three Arab League states recognizing Israel's right to exist as a state.

Israel's Netanyahu: 'Forever grateful'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport on May 23, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel. Kobi Gideon | GPO | Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised the Trump administration's move. "Thank you President Trump for today's historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful," Netanyahu said. The recognition, he added, "reflects the president's commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace." "There is no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."

Turkey: a 'red line'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during Russian-Turkish-Iranian talks at Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, November 22, 2017. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images

The U.S. is "plunging the region and the world into a fire with no end in sight," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said through a spokesperson. On being informed of Trump's decision, Erdogan called Jerusalem a "red line for Muslims," warning: "We could go as far as cutting diplomatic ties with Israel over the issue." Local media reported protesters outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday.

UK government: Trump's move is 'unhelpful'

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Toby Melville | Reuters

Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement, "We disagree with the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement." "We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it," she added. May reiterated the U.K.'s position that any status agreement should be a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and that Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states.

Germany advocates for a two-state solution

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a press conference at the end of EU Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council in Brussels on Nov. 24, 2017. Aurore Belot | AFP | Getty Images

"The German government does not support this position, because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution," German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted as saying by a spokesman. Relations between the current White House and the EU's biggest economy have hit some awkward patches under Trump after he hit out at the country for its trade and immigration policies and repeatedly criticized NATO.

France urges calm and restraint

Emmanuel Macron, France's president, looks on during a news conference in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. Lisi Niesner | Bloomberg | Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron was the first EU leader to call out Trump's action, saying that any decision on the ancient city's status had to be settled through negotiation. He also called for calm and restraint. "France does not approve the US decision. France supports the Two-State Solution, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States," Macron said in a statement via twitter. France and Germany have both updated travel advice for their citizens over concerns of potential clashes in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Vatican: Respect for 'the status quo'

Pope Francis arrives at the United Nations in New York, September 25, 2015. Tony Gentile | Reuters