5 teens detained in Jerusalem

An Israeli police officer gestures during clashes with Palestinians in the East
Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud on September 23, 2011.
(REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli police detained five Palestinian teens in Jerusalem on Friday, after thousands of officers were deployed around the city ahead of President Mahmoud Abbas's speech at the UN.

Three were detained in Beit Hanina for throwing stones, an Israeli police spokesman said.

Two young man were detained near Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, he said, adding that they had tried to enter a closed-off area.

"It is generally quiet now, with a large police presence across Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," the spokesman said.

Earlier, an Israeli police spokesperson told Ma'an Palestinian men under 50 years-old would be prevented from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, and troops were reinforced around the ancient city center and at entrances to the holy compound, the Haram al-Sharif.

Radio Israel reported that 22,000 officers are manning main roads, areas with mixed Palestinian and Israeli populations, the "Green Line" which marks the historic boundary between East and West Jerusalem, and other locations where tensions might erupt.

The report said Israeli police raised the alert level in Jerusalem to one below the highest state of alert.

The army also boosted numbers in the West Bank, deploying an extra 1,500 reservists across the territory, media reports said. A military spokesman on Thursday said troops would show "restraint" in dealing with any disturbances, "using riot dispersal means" in accordance with the level of unrest.

Israel's defence establishment has been preparing for months for the eventuality of rioting and mass unrest should the membership bid be scuttled, with the army, police and emergency services all on high alert on Friday.

Earlier this week, tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied across the West Bank in a massive show of support for the UN campaign, but there was little sign of any unrest and only isolated incidents of stone throwing.

More gatherings are planned for Friday evening when Palestinians are expected to turn out en masse to watch Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly on large screens in towns and cities across the West Bank.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly pledged that the marches and demonstrations will be peaceful and stay within Palestinian-controlled areas.

Maan News Agency