Rights groups roundly criticized the president’s remarks. “He’s not Jewish anymore,” Trump said of the Senate minority leader. “He’s a Palestinian.”

Trump repeated a campaign refrain Wednesday when he called Schumer a "Palestinian." Schumer is the highest-ranking elected official in Washington D.C.

Israel carried out an air strike on the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, targeting what the military said was a command centre belonging to the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, used to direct 'terrorist activities' against Israel.