Tensions Rise as Israel Police, IDF Prepare for Flag March Do-Over
Over 2,000 Israel Police officers will secure the rescheduled flag march in Jerusalem late on Tuesday afternoon. At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces have raised its alert level and prepared Iron Dome missile defense systems throughout the country in case of a response from Hamas in Gaza.
The march usually held through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City was canceled on May 10 after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem as it was scheduled to start.
The approved route will see marchers enter the Old City through the Jaffa Gate instead of the flashpoint Damascus Gate. The do-over march had been planned for Thursday but then postponed after police refused to approve a route through the Damascus Gate. It is seen as the first test of Israel’s new government.