The traditional Jerusalem Day march with flags, celebrating the reunification of the city after the 1967 Six-Day War, was rerouted due to the riots, Israeli police spokesman Mikhael Zingerman told Sputnik on Monday
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2021) The traditional Jerusalem Day march with flags, celebrating the reunification of the city after the 1967 Six-Day War, was rerouted due to the riots, Israeli police spokesman Mikhael Zingerman told Sputnik on Monday.
"Changes were made to the route. It will start from the Jaffa Gate, it is a Christian quarter, and from there it will go to the Western Wall. The route was drastically changed," Zingerman said.
The spokesman noted that the decision was made both by the political and police leadership in order to "prevent potential clashes and actions that could harm the well-being and safety of people."
Unrest in the city grows as Israel celebrates Jerusalem Day, with clashes continuing between the Palestinian population and the Israeli forces in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Jarrah areas of East Jerusalem. Earlier in the day, the police barred entry to the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors to avoid further escalation.
Local media reported that planes arriving and departing from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were also rerouted due to safety reasons as Hamas' military wing has threatened more missile launches against Israel on the heels of deadly Monday strikes.
According to the Red Crescent office in Jerusalem, about 300 Palestinians were injured since the start of the unrest, with 205 of them in need of hospitalization. The Israeli side reported nine injured.
