Jerusalem police on Friday laid out its plan for the volatile holy month of Ramadan amid worries of escalating violence as Hamas tries to draw the West Bank and Israeli Arabs into its war with Israel, having historically claimed to protect Islam's third holiest site.
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National Security Itamar Ben-Givr intended to limit access to Muslim worshippers in the mosques on the Temple Mount, including barring Arab Israeli citizens under a certain age from attending prayers there.
After Israel's security services warned that such limitations could provoke a larger response from Muslims heeding Hamas' calls, potentially igniting violence in both Israel and the West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Ben-Gvir's proposal. However, a cap on the number of worshippers allowed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound at any given time will be in place.
Around 100,000 worshippers are anticipated at the Temple Mount during what police label as the most tense and challenging holiday. Officers, including plainclothes personnel and intelligence units in collaboration with the Shin Bet, will be stationed throughout Jerusalem to prevent riots and control violence.
Thousands of police will be deployed across Jerusalem, with additional forces throughout the country, focusing on mixed Arab and Jewish cities.
CCTV cameras will surveil the Temple Mount and its access routes for real-time monitoring, while drones will oversee the situation from above. Social media will be monitored to identify potential instigators of violence.
Jerusalem police have noted attempts to initiate terror attacks during the holiday and are working to deter provocations by extremist Jews aiming to incite violence.