Scene of Saturday's attack at Shoket Junction
Photo: Ilana Curiel
Axe attack in Bat Ayin settlement
Photo: ZAKA
More terrorists acting alone, police say
Ahead of Passover, security forces dealing with nine concrete warnings, dozens of general ones; alert level raised in crowded places
The police have begun preparing for the Passover
holiday, on the backdrop of increasing attempts to carry out terror attacks.
The defense establishment has nine concrete warnings on terror organizations' plans to carry out attacks and dozens of general warnings of shooting attacks, abductions, suicide bombings and firing of rockets and mortar shells.
Commander Yoram Ohayon, head of the police's Operations Department, told Ynet that "the motivation to execute terror attacks exists. We don't see a return to the exploding buses period, but rather a shift to popular attacks – in other words, terrorists acting alone without an organized group behind them."
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According to Commander Ohayon, "All the security forces are operating against the infrastructures. It's safe to assume that after the blows we are dealing them, it leads them to carry out local acts. We take this into account in our deployment and in the general deployment of the security forces."
Until the eve of the holiday, police and Border Guard forces will deploy in shopping centers across the country and in central pick-up stops. The second stage will begin on Passover eve, when the police will raise their alert level even more.
The Jewish Blessing of the Sun will be marked before sunrise, and police expect tens of thousands of worshippers to attend the event, which takes place once every 28 years. The center will be at Western Wall in Jerusalem, and the police will deploy in the Jerusalem vicinity, on the Seam Line and inside the cities.
The police will continue their deployment during the mid-holidays in the country's parks and at events and festivals expected across the country.
The heightened state of alert will continue after Passover as well, ahead of Remembrance Day, Independence Day and Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel.
"We are always on the lookout and deploy accordingly. I call on the citizens: Go out, have fun, enjoy. There's no problem going out. We promise to be everywhere," said Commander Ohayon.
