Israel to replace metal detectors in Jerusalem with smart surveillance

[Mosby]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel on Tuesday decided to remove metal detectors it had placed at the entrance to a holy site in Jerusalem's Old City and replace them with smart, less obtrusive surveillance means, a cabinet statement said.

Israel installed metal detectors at entry points to Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after two police officers were fatally shot on July 14, triggering the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.

The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday have triggered international alarm and prompted the United Nations Security Council to convene a meeting to seek ways of calming the situation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted to remove the metal detector gates after a meeting lasting several hours convening for a second time on Monday after they had broken off discussions a day earlier.

A statement issued after the forum of senior ministers concluded their meeting said they had decided to act on the recommendation of the security bodies and replace the metal detectors with "smart checking" means.


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-idUSKBN1A92Q5

-----------

[Mosby]

1. Israel removes Jerusalem metal detectors, Palestinians reject new measures

#WORLD NEWS
JULY 24, 2017 / 3:38 PM / 27 MINUTES AGO
Israel removes Jerusalem metal detectors, Palestinians reject new measures
Ori Lewis
5 MIN READ

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel removed metal detectors from entrances to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday in favor of CCTV cameras, hoping to calm days of bloodshed, but Palestinians said the modified security measures were still unacceptable.

Israel installed the detectors at entry points to Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14, setting off the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.

The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis.

"All parties should work to reduce these tensions and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this," Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York. "At the holy sites, it's vital that both access and security be ensured." Washington has already held talks with Israel and Jordan to help resolve the crisis.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-idUSKBN1A92Q5

Posted without comment.