Palestinians crowded the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday night and extra security forces were headed to Jerusalem as the capital braced for the final Friday prayers of Ramadan, with tensions surrounding the holy site remaining high after clashes last week.
Dozens of Palestinians at the site late Thursday night chanted against Israel and Jews, and praised terrorists including Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif, Army Radio reported.
Some of the Palestinians threw rocks and glass bottles at police. Border Police officers have been sent to the area but have not entered the Temple Mount.
Fighting between officers and Palestinians at the flashpoint site last week led to two deadly terror attacks, and rocket fire from Hamas, and the terror group has urged Palestinians to flock to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop the Temple Mount, and not to leave the site.
Hamas has warned Israel against allowing continued visits of Jews to the Temple Mount, and trumpeted its rocket fire at Israel last week as protecting the site.
Police and Israel Defense Forces troops are being sent to Jerusalem in preparation for the Friday prayers, which draw tens of thousands of worshipers during the monthlong Ramadan holiday.
Over 2,000 police and Border Police officers will deploy around Jerusalem on Friday, with reinforcements headed to the Old City, the outskirts of the capital and East Jerusalem, Ynet reported.
Tensions in and around Jerusalem’s Old City have been high in recent weeks, in particular during the overlap of the Passover and Ramadan holidays and amid repeated clashes between security forces and worshipers atop the Temple Mount. Passover ended on Thursday.
Security forces are also on alert in the West Bank following warnings about possible terror attacks, and are continuing the search for a terror cell that killed Lucy Dee and her daughters, Maia and Rina.
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