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- Gaza’s Hamas militant group known as on Palestinians Wednesday to confront a parade that was deliberate by Jewish nationalists that may happen in the principle Palestinian street in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis.
- The feedback on the flag-waving parade increase the danger that combating may resume between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
- In a speech marking Jerusalem Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel has damaged “new horizons” since capturing east Jerusalem.
The ruling Hamas militant group within the Gaza Strip on Wednesday known as on Palestinians to confront a flag-waving parade deliberate by Jewish nationalists via the principle Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis.
The feedback by Hamas added to the already heightened tensions forward of Thursday’s march and threatened to reignite combating between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, simply days after a cease-fire took maintain. Two years in the past, an 11-day battle between Israel and Hamas erupted in the course of the annual march.
Whereas Hamas stayed out of the newest spherical of combating, officers with the ruling Islamic militant group urged Palestinians to oppose Thursday’s parade.
“We ask the folks of Jerusalem to mobilize the plenty to confront the march of the flags in Jerusalem tomorrow,” stated Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas official in Gaza.
Hamas additionally urged Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution and inside Israel to “conflict with the occupation” and stated it will maintain an indication with Palestinian flags alongside Gaza’s closely fortified frontier with Israel.
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The parade is supposed to mark “Jerusalem Day,” Israel’s annual celebration of its seize of east Jerusalem, together with the Outdated Metropolis and its holy websites, within the 1967 Mideast battle.
Israel considers your entire metropolis to be its everlasting capital. However the worldwide group doesn’t acknowledge Israel’s annexation of east Jerusalem, and the Palestinians declare the realm because the capital of a future state.
In a speech marking Jerusalem Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel has damaged “new horizons” since capturing east Jerusalem.
“We’re dedicated to safeguarding the safety of Jerusalem, to making sure its prosperity and to persevering with its momentum,” he stated. “We’re additionally doing this in opposition to the entire threats round us.”
Every year, 1000’s of Israeli nationalists take part within the march, waving blue and white Israeli flags and singing songs as they stroll via the Muslim Quarter and towards the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall, the holiest website the place Jews can pray.
![Israel Palestinians](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/05/640/320/Protests.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Israelis wave nationwide flags in entrance of Damascus Gate outdoors Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis to mark Jerusalem Day, an Israeli vacation celebrating the seize of the Outdated Metropolis in the course of the 1967 Mideast battle, on Could 29, 2022. (AP Picture/Ariel Schalit)
Israelis describe the parade as a festive occasion. However in previous years, it has been marred by anti-Arab racist chants and violence towards native Palestinians by a number of the marchers.
Including to the flamable environment, massive numbers of Jews are anticipated to go to Jerusalem’s most delicate holy website early Thursday earlier than the parade.
The hilltop compound is thought to Jews because the Temple Mount, house to the biblical Jewish Temples, and is the holiest website in Judaism. Palestinians name it the Noble Sanctuary, and right now it’s house to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest website in Islam.
Beneath longstanding agreements, Jews are permitted to go to the compound however not pray there. However a rise in such visits in recent times, together with scenes of some Jews quietly praying, have raised issues amongst Palestinians that Israel is making an attempt to change the established order — a cost Israel denies.
The competing claims to the positioning lie on the coronary heart of the Israeli-Palestinian battle and infrequently spill over into violence.
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Chief Supt Yoram Segal, a senior police official in Jerusalem, stated police would deploy some 2,500 officers on Thursday to make sure the day passes with out violence.
“We’re going to deal harshly with anybody who tries to disturb the peace,” he advised reporters.
The march comes lower than per week after Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza reached a cease-fire that ended 5 days of heavy combating.
Hamas, the de facto authorities in Gaza answerable for the plight of the territory’s 2.3 million folks, stayed out of the combating, whereas Israel prevented attacking the militant group.
Reham Owda, an impartial Gaza-based analyst, stated that neither aspect seems curious about resuming cross-border violence.
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“Nobody is curious about fierce escalation,” she stated, however she stated the parade may set off “restricted, symbolic” firing of rockets that would in flip spark Israeli airstrikes in retaliation.
If violence erupts in Jerusalem, Hamas may leap into the fray, because it did two years in the past.
“The resistance is able to shield Al-Aqsa Mosque and stop the Judaization of Jerusalem,” al-Masri stated.
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