The Israeli Police said on Thursday that 3,000 officers would be deployed in Jerusalem for the first Friday of Ramadan as thousands of Muslims are expected to gather at the Temple Mount for morning prayers.
“The ongoing security system will be intensified and police activity on traffic routes will be intensified, all with the aim of providing the best response to any scenario and acting to prevent attempts by hostile elements to exploit the days of the month of Ramadan to incite, disrupt order, terror or violence of any kind,” the police said.
Friday morning prayers are especially large, and Palestinian terror attacks have surged during the Islamic holy month.
On Friday, 10,000 Palestinians at a time will be allowed to pray. Imprisoned Palestinian terrorists who returned to their homes in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria in exchange for Israeli hostages will be banned from the holy site.