Police remained vigilant throughout the country and capital following Hamas’ call Thursday for another “day of rage” against Israel on Friday, during which the terrorist organization implored Palestinians to take to the streets “in solidarity with the Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem intifada.”
As of Thursday evening, Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police are assessing the potential security threat and deliberating over whether to impose age restrictions for Friday prayers at the Temple Mount.
In the meantime, Rosenfeld said multiple police units will continue to closely monitor public areas across the capital, with a special emphasis on the central bus station, bus and light rail stops, shops and restaurants.
In response to the call for violence, Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah expressed fear that Hamas’ actions would instigate unrest not only against Israel, but the Palestinian Authority leadership as well.
A senior PA official said that its security forces would not allow Hamas to “incite” Palestinians to engage in violence that could plunge the whole region into anarchy and lawlessness.
Accusing Israel of “desecrating” the Aksa Mosque, Hamas called on Palestinians to march toward Israeli checkpoints in the West bank and clash with IDF soldiers.
Yehya Mousa, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, said that the protests were meant to send a message to all Palestinians, especially those living in the West Bank, that they should do their utmost to defend the Aqsa Mosque.
“Our holy sites are being desecrated and our Aksa Mosque is being destroyed and taken over,” Mousa said. “Every Palestinian is required to take the initiative and move to defend our identity and existence.”
He added that the only way to confront Israeli “crimes” was through an all-out intifada “until the Aksa Mosque is liberated and the occupation leaves our lands.”
The Fatah Central Committee appealed to the US Administration to intervene to prevent a further deterioration. The committee held the Israeli government, the IDF and settlers responsible for the current tensions.
The appeal came during a meeting of the committee in Ramallah under the chairmanship of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Nabil Abu Rudaineh, spokesman for the committee, said that the situation was “extremely dangerous.” He urged all Palestinian groups not to give Israel an excuse to “pursue its violations and crimes.”
Rudaineh accused the Israeli government of “encouraging and sponsoring settler assaults on Palestinians and their holy sites.”
Earlier Thursday morning, police said nearly 100 Palestinian youths from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber entered Armon Hanatziv, a nearby Jewish neighborhood, and proceeded to block a main street using their bodies.
According to Rosenfeld, the mob attacked responding officers with rocks before being dispersed with non-lethal stun grenades. No arrests or injuries were reported, although a police car was damaged during the confrontation, he said.
In response to ongoing tensions, which peaked Tuesday morning during the Har Nof massacre when two Palestinian terrorists murdered four rabbis and a police officer and wounded seven others, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced a volunteer Civil Guard to assist police.
In a statement released Thursday night, Barkat said the measure will add 80 volunteer patrol cars to monitor flashpoint neighborhoods and 50 additional rapid response urban mobility police units. He added that 215 security guards will be added to all preschools and kindergartens, and hundreds of new CCTV cameras will be installed at schools throughout the city.
“The return of security to the inhabitants of the city is our most important mission,” said Barkat. “Backed by the prime minister and the Israeli Police, this will be one of the most comprehensive programs to secure the city’s students and residents.” “We will restore the quiet routine of Jerusalem to the residents,” he continued.
Meanwhile, a massive shipment of fireworks, knives and Tasers police believe were meant in part to be used by rioters clashing with police were seized last week by Jerusalem District detectives and officers from the Tax Authority and the Ashdod Port Customs, police announced on Thursday.
Police said the seizure came after Jerusalem detectives ran an undercover investigation along with the tax and customs officials, during which they were able to track and seize two shipping containers which came to Ashdod by way of China. The fireworks were hidden among Christmas directions inside the containers, which were intended for Arab residents of the largely Christian east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
Last Tuesday, three of the suspects arrived at the Ashdod Port and claimed the containers, and then drove with them on trailers to a storehouse in Afula, where they planned to unload the merchandise. They were then arrested at the spot before unloading the containers, as was the owner of the storehouse.
Inside the containers police said they found 18,000 fireworks of the restricted 20mm. variety, as well as 5,200 commando knives, 4,300 flashlights that can be modified into improvised Tasers, 5,500 Tasers, and 1,000 swords.
Fireworks have become a highly popular tool of rioters facing off with police and soldiers during riots in the Arab sector, particularly in east Jerusalem. The firecrackers, including large Roman candles, are pointed horizontally towards police and soldiers and fired like ammunition.
Some of the larger gauge fireworks can penetrate police protective gear at close range, including their plastic shields. All can cause severe burns and if some of the larger ones hit on the right spot, such as the neck, they can potentially be fatal.
On Tuesday, the Knesset Economics Committee voted to ban the import of fireworks through February 15, noting that the explosives had been used as weapons against security forces in clashes.
“Fireworks have become a significant danger to the security forces and we must eliminate their use as a weapon,” said committee vice chairman MK Karin Elharar (Yesh Atid).
The expiration date on the limitation was put in place to ensure the ban did not excessively hurt importers, but Yaron Mor, who chairs the forum of firework importers, noted that the ban might not be effective in and of itself. In testimony before the committee, he said that there were smuggled containers of fireworks in the country that could still fall into the wrong hands.