Israeli flag march to inflame tensions: Source

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – A planned flag march in occupied Jerusalem may fuel the situation in the Gaza Strip again, an Israeli security source warned on Sunday.

Far-right Israeli groups have called for a flag march on Thursday to pass through the Old City's Damascus gate in occupied East Jerusalem, a move that is expected to inflame tensions with the Palestinians.

“The situation may explode and the Israeli authorities are aware of this,” the source told the official KAN news channel.

An Israeli military source said the army has been on alert along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Israeli police have not yet approved the march amid expectations to order a change in its route from the Damascus gate. A final decision may not be made until later in the week, KAN news reported.

On Saturday, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said he will demand a change in the route of the flag march where its planned route through the Damascus gate "would require special security arrangements, or could disturb the peace or current policy practices".

Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance group Hamas called on the Palestinians to be present in Jerusalem's Damascus gate and Al-Aqsa Mosque to confront the planned Israeli march.

“We call on our people to hold mass protests at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday,” Hamas spokesman Muhammad Hamada said in a statement.

The march had originally been planned for May 10 to mark what the Israelis call the day of unifying Jerusalem, in reference to Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967, but the march was canceled amid tensions that escalated into 11 days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza. The fighting came to a halt under an Egyptian-brokered truce on May 21.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara