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The United States plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem much earlier than previously declared: on Israel's Independence Day, May 14, a U.S. official has confirmed.
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Vice President Mike Pence had said on his tour of Israel last month that the relocation would not happen until 2019.
The embassy will likely be located at a U.S. facility in the Talpiyot neighborhood, currently used for consular affairs, including passport and visa processing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is in touch with the U.S. administration and will respond once an official announcement has been made by the White House.
Protests promptly broke out in Gaza and the West Bank, having been taking place on a weekly basis since Trump first announced the move on December 6.
Israeli security forces have quelled the demonstrations and 20 Palestinians have been killed since Trump's controversial declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
The United States stood isolated during a UN General Assembly in late December, when that declaration was rejected by 128 nations.
Israel has illegally occupied East Jerusalem since 1967's Six-Day War.
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