Police increased presence in capital; national security alert to be raised on Monday.
By ETGAR LEFKOVITSsecurity checks 224.88(photo credit: Ahmad Gharabli)
Jerusalem police on Sunday lifted a red alert which had been in force in the city throughout the afternoon, police said.
The heightened alert, which was imposed at lunchtime in the wake of intelligence warnings over an impending terror attack in or around the city, came two days before the US sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.
It was not immediately clear if the would-be assailants were caught.
The red-alert was lowered at 3:30 p.m. on the instructions of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) which had first put police on alert at midday.
Throughout the afternoon, police were conducting spot checks on vehicles at the entrances to the city causing unusually heavy traffic congestion in the capital, and were increasing border police patrols on the northern and southern outskirts of the city.
Magen David Adom rescue services had gone on the highest state of alert in the wake of the initial announcement of the police red alert.
Israeli security officials have said that Hamas may try to carry out terror attacks around the time of the peace talks.
Police periodically issue red alerts in the wake of an amalgamation of intelligence warnings indicating an impending Palestinian suicide bombing.
