Israeli army reservists called-up to tackle Palestinians

Israeli media reports claim that Benjamin Netanyahu and his Internal Front Minister, Gilad Erdan, have called-up 13 brigades of reserve border guards to crack down on Palestinians in East Jerusalem and a number of villages in Israel.

Israel Hayoum reported on Sunday that the new call-up reinforces a similar move last week, which came in response to the increasing tension in the occupied Palestinian territories resulting from attacks by Jewish settlers and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops. The Israeli newspaper reported sources in the prime minister’s office who believe that a heavy military presence in the hot spots will de-escalate the crisis.

“I ordered the call up of the reservists to regain order in Jerusalem and the other parts of the country,” said Netanyahu. “We will continue doing this whenever such steps are needed.”

The occupied Palestinian territories have been witnessing rising tension for about two weeks following increased levels of Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque.