Jerusalem on alert, West Bank and Gaza on lockdown as Passover enters final days

Heightened security tensions will see all border crossings shutter during the final days of the Jewish holiday; exceptions will be made for Palestinians eligible to enter Israel to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and for humanitarian purposes
Ynet, i24NEWS|
With security tensions running high as the final days of Passover are around the corner, a lockdown will be enforced on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, while Jerusalem will be put on high alert, the military said Wednesday evening.
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  • The decision was made hours after the far-right's flag march in Jerusalem - which was dispersed in mere hours due to police intervention and heavy security around the march's route, including the volatile Muslim quarter.
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    עימותים בחברון
    עימותים בחברון
    Riots in the West Bank city of Hebron during the holy month of Ramadan
    (Photo: EPA)
    Shortly after the flag march - which also took place last year and was the catalyst for the May war between Israel and Gaza, as well as for numerous racial riots inside the country - militants in Gaza fired a rocket at Israeli communities adjacent to the Strip.
    A residential home sustained a hit, along with several cars in the southern city of Sderot. No injuries were reported in the attack, but several people had been treated for shock.
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    הנזק כתוצאה מירי הרקטה לעיר
    הנזק כתוצאה מירי הרקטה לעיר
    Damage to cars in city of Sderot
    (Photo: Roee Idan)
    As part of the measures, all border crossings with the West Bank and Gaza will be closed starting Thursday 5am - the eve of the Second Passover.
    The lifting of the closure will be dependent on the security situation. Exceptions will be made for Palestinians eligible to enter Israel to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and for humanitarian crossingspurposes.
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    מצעד הדגלים בירושלים יוצא לדרך
    מצעד הדגלים בירושלים יוצא לדרך
    The flag march in Jerusalem
    (Photo: EPA)
    This year’s Passover takes place simultaneously with Ramadan, and has seen several violent outbursts occur on the Temple Mount and other areas in and around the Old City of Jerusalem.
    Recent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian rioters near the Al-Aqsa compound have garnered condemnation from several Arab countries, including some with which Israel has recently normalized relations.
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    התפרעויות בהר הבית
    התפרעויות בהר הבית
    Palestinian rioters on the Temple Mount, April 15
    (Photo: AFP)
    One such country was Jordan, who accused Israel of attempting "to change the historical and legal status quo around the al-Aqsa Mosque" and called Jerusalem's actions around the mosque "a reprehensible breach of international law and of Israel's obligations as an occupying power."
    Additional Arab countries who condemned Israel over the Temple Mount riots were Bahrain, Morocco, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which went so far as to cancel its historic participation in the Jewish State’s Independence Day flyby.

    i24NEWS contributed to this story
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