The Hamas terror group has told Palestinians to “go out in the hundreds of thousands” to pray at Al-Aqsa mosque on Friday in a deliberate intimidation of the Jewish people at the start of Passover, with the terror group vowing to stop Jewish activity at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem “at any cost”.
The call come as the Gaza-based terrorist groups made a unified call for an escalation against Israel.
“We are declaring a general mobilization in all places where our people are located. We are calling on the masses to come out in the hundreds of thousands to protect our nation and our mosque,” the Gaza groups said in a statement.
“We call on our people to march and go out in the hundreds of thousands to hold Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa,” the groups said, according to reports.
It comes amid a week of heightened security with Israeli forces making numerous arrests of terror suspects in Jenin and the West Bank in an attempt to prevent more Palestinian terror attacks like that seen in recent weeks. It has resulted in increased tensions with Palestinian rioters attacking Israeli forces at various flashpoints.
Fatah in the West Bank also called for the Palestinian public to go to sensitive areas and “confront IDF forces and settlers throughout the West Bank,” according to Army Radio.
Tens of thousands were already expected to attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa. Most of the Ramadan worshipers will cross into Israel without permits, part of a policy to loosen normally tight Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement for the holiday, says Times of Israel.
Allowing in thousands of Palestinians carries a clear security risk for Israel, but clamping down on worshipers during Ramadan could spark an outbreak of violence.
We call upon the UK Government to officially recognise Jerusalem is Israel's capital and move its embassy to Jerusalem.
