By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli security establishment on Friday further raised the alert level in light of several potential terror attacks over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, Xinhua has learned.
Security forces are expected to especially focus on Jerusalem. On the third Friday of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, some 4,000 Border Guard officers and police forces will be dispatched to patrol the city streets, the Old City, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, starting in the early hours of Friday morning, The spokesperson of Israel Police told Xinhua.
Entry to Temple Mount will be restricted to Israeli ID holders only. Security forces will also allow Palestinian men 45-year-old and over to enter the Temple Mount, providing they have the proper permits.
Palestinian women over the age of 30, carrying the proper permits, will also be allowed on the Temple Mount.
The decision to increase security alertness was made following the Israel Defense Forces’ latest operation in the Gaza Strip — which left 11 Palestinians dead — and the threat of retaliation made by Hamas, which clouds the many events planned throughout Israel for the coming holiday week.
Meanwhile, there are seven specific indications of potential terror attacks over the holiday, as well as dozens of general indications of such possible attacks, sources from security establishment said.