Anti-Israeli Quds Day rallies to be held across Middle East today

Anti-Israel rallies will be held across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to mark Quds (Jerusalem) Day on April 14, the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The largest rallies will almost certainly be held in Iran, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories; however, demonstrations will also likely occur in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, eastern Saudi Arabia., and elsewhere, according to Crisis24.

Rallies may be particularly confrontational or significant in the Palestinian Territories and nearby states, such as Jordan and Lebanon, due to recent developments in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Tensions have been high in the last few months amid clashes between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian militant groups.

The latest violence is in response to Israeli security forces storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem after Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves inside and refused to leave on April 4. Since the incident, Israeli security forces have increased their presence near the mosque and surrounding areas in anticipation of additional violence. The Israeli security forces are reportedly on high alert for further unrest and rocket attacks; militants have recently fired projectiles from southern Lebanon and Gaza into Israel.

Increased security measures and localized traffic disruptions are likely near any demonstrations. Prominent protest locations include public squares, government buildings, and city centres. Clashes between police and protesters cannot be ruled out, particularly if demonstrators are overly disruptive or if they ignore police orders to disperse.

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 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. However, these rallies do not normally pose a significant risk to foreigners.

Meanwhile, the Israeli media reported that additional batteries of the Iron Dome missile defence system were deployed in various parts of Israel on April 13, in order to strengthen the country’s air defence. The Iron Dome covers the south of Israel, but this time several batteries were deployed in the north, apparently due to the threat of shelling or provocations with drones from Lebanon or Syria, the report added.