Lebanon's former mufti calls for 'jihad' against Israel

A senior Sunni cleric in Lebanon has called on all Muslims to wage jihad, or holy war, in support of Palestinians in the occupied territories, after the US' controversial decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem.

Lebanon's former Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani, said it is not permissible in Islam for Muslims to "surrender... any inch" of historic Palestine to Israel.

Kabbani, who still holds considerable clout in Lebanon, also said it is not acceptable for Muslims to recogise "so-called Israel".

Kabbani's comments appear to be a jab at US plans to push for a potential peace deal, which is being reportedly supported by Saudi Arabia.

Relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh have become apparantely warm in recent months, according to Israeli offcials, mostly due to a shared destain for the Iran regime.

Earlier this year, a senior al-Qaeda leader called for holy war against the US and Jews shortly after Donald Trump announced his December decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Khalid Batarfi in a video branded Trump's decision as "a declaration of a new Jewish-Crusader war" and said every Muslim had a duty to "liberate" the holy city.

"No Muslim has the right to cede Jerusalem no matter what happens," said Batarfi, a top commander with the group's powerful Yemen-based branch. "Only a traitor would give it up or hand it over."

"Let them (Muslims) rise and attack the Jews and the Americans everywhere," he said, in the 18-minute video entitled "Our Duty Towards Our Jerusalem".