Police will go on high alert for terror attacks across Israel on Monday, due to fears that terror organizations may attempt to carry out an attack in order to disrupt the U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland.
On Sunday afternoon, security forces dropped a terror alert that had been declared following intelligence reports that two Palestinian militants were trying to enter Israel to carry out a terrorist attack.
It was not immediately clear whether arrests had been made, but Israel Radio reported that the alert was canceled after new information was received.
Advertisement
Jerusalem police had received a tip according to which two terrorists were en route to Jerusalem in order to carry out an attack in the city ahead of Tuesday's Middle East peace conference in Annapolis.
Authorities suggested the terrorists may be passing through Jerusalem to attack a target in the center of the country, as suicide bombers have done in the past. Police did not believe that the suspected terrorists had managed to enter the city.
On Saturday, Hamas threatened to make deadlier Qassam rockets in order to disrupt the upcoming summit.
In response to the latest developments, Magen David Adom director-general Eli Bin had announced that the alert level in Jerusalem would be raised to 'Gimmel', or stage three, while the alert level in the Dan, Yarkon, and Ayalon districts in the center of the country were raised to 'Bet', or level two.
Security forces erected checkpoints in northern Jerusalem and on Highway 1, the road connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
There was significant movement of ambulances and rescue services on the city's streets and police helicopters have also been spotted over the capital.
Authorities also deployed the Police Special Anti-Terror Unit in northern Jerusalem.
The Narkiss Bridge, which stretches over the French Hill junction and which leads to Jewish neighborhoods in the northern part of the city, including Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Ya'akov, was closed to traffic in both directions.
In a separate incident, Border Police officers manning a checkpoint near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Sunday arrested two Palestinians armed with knives and bullets. The suspects were taken into custody for questioning.
Earlier Sunday, a Palestinian youth in possession of a homemade grenade was arrested at the Beit Iba checkpoint west of Nablus. The explosive was neutralized by sappers and the Palestinians were detained for questioning.
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
