Palestinian organizations on Thursday called on supporters to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City by setting up tents to sleep at the site ahead of the Jerusalem Day flag march this Sunday, May 29.
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Spearheading the calls was the Fatah organization's Jerusalem branch, which took to Arabic social media sites to spread its message.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel of "unfathomable results" ahead of the upcoming march.
"The flag march in Jerusalem and the harm to the Al-Aqsa mosque could cause a giant explosion in the region and lead to unfathomable results. The Palestinian resistance will respond to any harm to the Al-Aqsa mosque," Nasrallah said. "The enemy is in a state of crisis and suffering from severe internal division. The government of the enemy must avoid taking any step with catastrophic ramifications."
"I want to tell the enemy's government… and those concerned with the regional situation, any violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock will … provoke all the Arab and Islamic peoples and every free person," Nasrallah added.
Meanwhile, in response to threats by the Gaza-based terrorist organization Hamas, the IDF put air-defense batteries, including the Iron Dome system, on a higher state of alert and adjusted their deployments in preparation for the possibility of rocket fire on Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular in connection with the flag march, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem during last year's parade through the Old City and, as stated, has threatened to take similar action again.
Also Wednesday, Israel Police Chief Yaakov Shabtai placed units on their highest alert level and ordered that all officers be put on operational duty. Around 3,000 officers will secure the march in Jerusalem, and thousands more will be dispatched across the country and in mixed Jewish-Arab cities. In addition, Border Police reserve battalions will also be put on immediate alert.
"In Gaza, the flag march, which is supposed to go through the Old City of Jerusalem, is viewed as an affront to their national aspirations," Nasrallah continued.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad view the flag march as an opportunity to be seen as leaders of the fight for sovereignty over the city.
Amid the threats by Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, Israeli officials were in talks with mediators from Egypt and the United Nations in an effort to prevent an escalation. Qatar, too, is involved in the dialogue and is relaying messages between Gaza and Tel Aviv.
PIJ, which is spearheading the more hawkish line among Palestinian terrorist groups, sent Israel a message via one of the mediators, saying that "if the march passes through the 'Islamic parts' of the Old City of Jerusalem, the organization will respond."
According to one senior PIJ official, the mediators conveyed a message from Israel that it was uninterested in offending Muslims' religious sentiments. That message in and of itself was insufficient to allay PIJ's suspicions, and the group declared that for its part, despite the Israeli message, it believes that "settlers are determined to cause provocations" during the march.
Last week, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said the march would take place along its "customary route" through Damascus Gate – one of the most volatile flashpoints in the Old City and the scene of multiple past terrorist attacks.
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Barlev's office said the decision was made after consultations with the police.
Last year's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Operation Guardian of the Walls, erupted days before the march was set to take place. At the time, authorities changed the route at the last moment to avoid Damascus Gate.
