04 Apr 2024 | 03:54 PM UTC
MENA: Rallies and demonstrations likely across the Middle East and North Africa to mark Al-Quds Day, April 5 /update 1
Rallies likely throughout Middle East and North Africa region to mark Al-Quds Day, April 5. Avoid all protests.
Anti-Israel rallies will likely be held across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day on April 5, the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The largest rallies will almost certainly be held in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and the West Bank; however, demonstrations will also likely occur in Bahrain, Morocco, and elsewhere. The risk of strike action, civil unrest, and associated clashes, in addition to opportunistic militant attacks, is likely to be compounded by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
In the Palestinian Territories, tensions will be particularly heightened around religious sites in East Jerusalem, especially around the Temple Mount/Al-Haram ash-Sharif compound, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli security forces may restrict access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the last Friday prayer. Likely flashpoint areas for violence include parts of Jerusalem's Old City (including Damascus Gate, Lion's Gate, Herod's Gate, and Chain Gate), as well as Jenin, Nablus, Hebron, Palestinian refugee camps, and Israeli checkpoints and settlements in the West Bank.
Escalating tensions between Israel and the "Axis of Resistance," Iran's network of Shi'a militias across the region, including Lebanese Hizballah, Yemen's Al Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria, could result in additional cross-border violence. The recent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrikes targeting Hamas, Hizballah, and Iranian military leaders in Lebanon and Syria increase the possibility of retaliatory strikes against Israel.
Increased security measures and localized traffic disruptions are likely near any demonstrations. Prominent protest locations include public squares, government buildings, and city centers. Clashes between police and protesters cannot be ruled out, particularly if demonstrators are overly disruptive or if they ignore police orders to disperse.
Avoid all protests as a standard precaution. Exercise heightened vigilance around major checkpoints, public squares, and likely demonstration venues. Seek updated information on security conditions and possible movement restrictions if operating in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Consider limiting exposure to possible militant target sites such as security checkpoints, government buildings, and places of worship. Heed the advice of local authorities.
Al-Quds Day, which promotes the "liberation of Jerusalem from Israeli occupation" and is intended to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people, has traditionally featured large rallies, during which participants typically express anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment.
The 1979 Iranian Revolution leader and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, established Al-Quds Day in 1979. The most significant rallies are typically held in that country. The Iranian government's sponsored demonstrations attract millions of people in larger cities, such as Tehran.
