Israeli security launch clampdown in Jerusalem over fears of Hamas 'day of rage'

13 October 2023 , 12:18

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A Palestinian Muslim man walks past Israeli security forces stationed outside the Damascus Gate (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli security forces have launched a massive clampdown in Jerusalem, fearing a Hamas-ordered “day of rage” will spill out into violence on the streets.

It followed days of shootings here as tension and hatred have been stirred up by the horror of the Hamas-Israel war which has killed close to 3,000 within days. Mounted police bristling with automatic weapons and heavily armed troops swamped the al-Aqsa Mosque area - the epicentre of Hamas’ call to arms. One local who only gave his name as Issam told me close to the al-Aqsa: “Everyone is terrified to come today because of the security here, there are many restrictions."

Israeli Army fire shells into Gaza (Tim Merry/Mirror)

We saw a group of 20 local youths praying together in the street on mats close to the mosque, watched by Israel’s security forces, as tension ran high everywhere. Just hours earlier during the night, unlit helicopters had buzzed east Jerusalem as police launched a manhunt for a gunman who attacked a local police station.

Sirens blared for hours as the search intensified but rumours and counter-rumour are overtaking each other, the streets piano-wire tense over fears of more fighting. Close to the al-Aqsa mosque Israeli forces moved in loose formation around the area trying to plug gaps in security and ward off any threats. There was talk of flashpoints with tear gas and flashbangs used against rioters in the city.

I asked one police officer if anything had happened so far by midday and he shook his head, refusing to talk, merely telling me: “It is difficult here. You know this.” The Gaza-based radicals whose massacre in southern Israel sparked this bloody war, have called for a “day of rage” against Jews, centred upon an incident weeks ago at the al-Aqsa site. Just as the war is teetering towards spreading beyond Israel and Gaza, Hamas has called for violence worldwide in their campaign of anti-semitic hatred.

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Mirror Defence Editor Chris Hughes in Ashdod, Israel (Tim Merry)

In Gaza more than 1,500 have been killed, many of them civilians, sparking mounting fears of a major refugee crisis, with Palestinians trying to flee to Egypt. Horrific figures for the wounded in the enclave have reached in excess of 6,000, with hospitals overrun and running out of electricity because of the war blockade. It is thought 1,300 Israeli civilians and soldiers have been killed, many in the slaughter that was triggered on Saturday when Hamas broke out of Gaza. Hamas has used an incident when Israelis broke into al-Aqsa during Ramadan, violating the sacred place of worship, to justify their campaign of horror against Israel.

Equally, there are major fears Israel is wreaking dreadful revenge on the Palestinian militants in Gaza with airstrikes which are killing many civilians. Israel's military told around one million Palestinians on Friday to evacuate northern Gaza and head to the southern part of the besieged territory. It is an unprecedented order applying to almost half the population ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group. Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago and has fired thousands of rockets since dismissed it as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes.

Sirens blared for hours as the search intensified but rumours and counter-rumour are overtaking each other (Tim Merry/Mirror)

The evacuation order, which includes Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked widespread panic among civilians and aid workers. Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza sobbed as she said: "Forget about food, forget about electricity, forget about fuel. The only concern now is just if you'll make it if you're going to live."

Weekly Muslim prayers brought protests in some nearby countries, with all eyes on Jerusalem's Old City. It is believed Israeli authorities were barring all Palestinian men under the age of 50 from entering to pray. Israel has bombarded Gaza round-the-clock since a weekend attack in which Hamas fighters stormed into the country's south and massacred hundreds, including killing children in their homes and young people at a music festival.

A Palestinian Muslim man walks past Israeli security forces stationed outside the Damascus Gate (AFP via Getty Images)

Militants also snatched some 150 people and dragged them into Gaza. But U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said it would be impossible to stage an evacuation of Gaza without "devastating humanitarian consequences." He called on Israel to rescind any such orders, saying they could "transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation." Egypt has meanwhile taken "unprecedented measures" to reinforce its border with Gaza and prevent any breaches, a senior Egyptian security official said.

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Chris Hughes in Jerusalem