Israeli police to bolster presence in Jerusalem for 'flag march' amid Palestinian calls for day of rage

Israeli police to bolster presence in Jerusalem for 'flag march' amid Palestinian calls for day of rage
Palestinians are planning to protest against the Israeli extremist march, which will go through areas in Palestinian East Jerusalem.
2 min read
14 June, 2021
Palestinian groups are calling for action against the flag march [NurPhoto/Getty]

Israeli police presence will be bolstered in Jerusalem ahead of Tuesday's planned "flag march".

The police will operate in the Damascus Gate area in occupied East Jerusalem, and plainclothes officers will be tasked with preventing violence, according to Israel's Maariv daily.

Palestinians are planning to protest against the Israeli extremist march.

Israel's new domestic security minister said the demonstration will go ahead.

The flag march is to commence at 5:30 pm, while an hour later participants will dance at Damascus Gate along with their Israeli flags, Arabi21 said.

It will go through several historic areas in Palestinian East Jerusalem, including Jaffa Gate and the Muslim Quarter.

The flag march was originally supposed to take place last Thursday but was cancelled, following similar delays in May.

"Police refused to give us authorisation," explained one participating organisation's spokesperson.

This came as Hamas's Khalil Hayya warned the march going ahead could lead to fresh violence.

"We hope the message is clear so that Thursday doesn’t become [a new] May 10".

The deadly Israeli bombing campaign against Gaza and Hamas rocket fire on Israel began on that date.

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Ahead of Tuesday's reorganised flag march, senior Hamas figure Moussa Abu Marzouk warned over the weekend that the demonstration could see a return to last month's fatal escalation.

"Our decision is already made that it is possible the war will return" if Israel continues to carry out "its usual activities," he explained.

Several Palestinian groups have called for Palestinians to take action on Tuesday, Arabi21 reported.

In addition to Hamas, the Follow-Up Committee of the National Forces in Palestine asked the Palestinian people to turn out for a day of rage.

The Committee appealed: "Let all Palestine and all its people in [Israel] and the diaspora rise up under the Palestinian flag, in support of Jerusalem and to protect it, its neighbourhoods and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."

It also called for those within Israel and the West Bank to safeguard the third holiest site in Islam.

The planned flag march comes after Israel's new "government of change" won its key confidence vote on Sunday, removing Benjamin Netanyahu from power for the first time in 12 years.