Police are preparing to secure tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers who are set to arrive in Jerusalem for the first Friday prayers of the month of Ramadan.
The police announced on Thursday that a reinforcement of over 2,300 police officers and Border Police officers will be deployed in Jerusalem on Friday to maintain the peace, alongside the hundreds of police officers who operate routinely in the city.
Increased security forces will operate at the crossings around Jerusalem, in east Jerusalem and in the Old City.
"Israel Police will continue to act in order to allow the many worshipers to visit the holy sites safely. We call on the public to respect the holiday and others, to celebrate, pray and observe the holiday according to the law and obey the police officers' instructions," said police.
Old City of Jerusalem roads to be closed
From about 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the following roads around the Old City of Jerusalem will be closed to vehicles: Sultan Suleiman, Wadi Joz, Jericho Road, Shmuel Ben Adia, HaOfel Road, Nablus Road, Salah a-Din, Ma'alot Ir David, Van Paassen, Naomi Kis.
From Friday morning until the afternoon, the following roads will be closed as needed: Bar Lev Boulevard from the Mateh Artzi junction southward, Derech Hevron from Miriam Hahashmonait St. northward, HaTsanhanim St., Kheil ha-Handasa St. and the IDF Tunnel.
Last year, the first Friday prayers of Ramadan passed peacefully, although on the second Friday of Ramadan, violent clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli forces on the Temple Mount. 150 Palestinians and eight Israel Police officers were injured in the clashes. Additional violence broke out repeatedly throughout the remainder of Ramadan.
'We will break the fast in Jerusalem'
In recent days, Palestinian media launched a campaign titled "We will break the fast in Jerusalem," encouraging Palestinians to break the daily Ramadan fast at al-Aqsa mosque and to increase the Muslim presence at the site.
Najeh Bakirat, the deputy director-general of the Wakf in Jerusalem, has called in recent days for large numbers of Palestinians to conduct Itikaf, a practice in which Muslims stay within a mosque for multiple days, at al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
"I'tikaaf is the only and best way to confront the occupation and its plans," said Bakirat, according to Palestinian media. "The occupation can only be deterred by continuing and steadfast in the lands and courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque."
Bakirat warned that the situation is "more dangerous than ever before," stating that "things will be hot this year as a result of the daily attacks that escalated in al-Aqsa Mosque."
Palestinian officials have also expressed outrage at the installation of security cameras around the Temple Mount by police in recent weeks.
As the first day of Ramadan was marked on Thursday, Israeli security forces continued to conduct arrests in Jerusalem and the West Bank in an effort to thwart terrorist operations.