Israeli police clashed with Jewish worshipers at a religious festival in northern Israel where three years ago 45 people died, crushed by the crowd. This year, the authorities closed the festival because of the rocket fire from Lebanon, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
After the 2021 tragedy at the tomb of a second-century sage during the annual Lag Ba Omer celebration, police restricted the number of visitors. In previous years, the all-night sessions of prayers, mystical songs and dances gathered tens of thousands of visitors.
This year the festival was canceled because the site in Meron came under rocket fire from Lebanon.
Many northern Israeli cities have been evacuated since the Iranian-backed Lebanese "Hezbollah" began shelling them after the attack by "Hamas" against southern Israel on October 7, sparking the Gaza war. Since then, both sides have exchanged blows, Reuters recalls.
Yesterday "Hezbollah" reported that five of its fighters and two civilians were killed in Israeli strikes yesterday, France Press reported.
Israeli police said that despite the festival being closed over the weekend, they refused entry to thousands of worshipers, and hundreds managed to get to the scene where things got out of hand. Visitors damaged property and threw objects at law enforcement officers, 19 of whom were injured.
According to Israeli media, several of those gathered were also injured. An employee was suspended for knocking an elderly man to the ground. Police said they are investigating other incidents.