Police brace for new attacks ahead of Friday prayers
Source: Times of Israel
Hamas calls for ‘day of rage’ in the West Bank; Temple Mount access limited to Muslim women, and men over 45
Security forces were gearing up Friday morning for anticipated violence ahead of Friday prayers in Jerusalem, following a 48-hour period that saw seven stabbing attacks on Israelis throughout the country.
Thousands of troops were set to be deployed in Jerusalem’s Old City and throughout the West Bank in a bid to quell the spate of attacks that swept Israel in the past week, in which dozens of Israelis were injured and two men — Aharon Banita and Nechemia Lavi — were knifed to death in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Hamas officials called a “day of rage” Friday in the West Bank, prompting fears of widespread rioting. Hassan Yousef, a West Bank leader in the Islamist group, released a statement urging Palestinians to carry out attacks, according to the Ynet news site. Yousef threatened that the West Bank and Gaza Strip would “burn.” The report noted that the statement was unusual for Yousef, who has been trying to keep a low profile.
Police and the Israel Defense Forces were bolstering their presence in East Jerusalem neighborhoods, around the Old City, at the Qalandiya checkpoint, and near Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem.
Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/police-brace-for-new-attacks-ahead-of-friday-prayers/