Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking at an international high-tech conference in Jerusalem on Thursday, said that
Israel would act with restraint and determination to prevent a crossing
of its borders when Palestinians plan a mass protest along its frontiers
next week.
"Like any country in the world, Israel has the right
and duty to guard and defend its borders. Therefore my instructions are
clear, to act with restraint, but with the necessary decisiveness to
protect our borders, our communities and our citizens," Netanyahu said.
RELATED:'Lebanon declares border closed military zone' IDF readies ‘firm, but non-lethal’ response along borders 'Navy prepared to board flotilla ships if they don't stop' Demonstrations on Israel's northern borders are expected to occur early
next week on the 44th anniversary of the Six Day War, similar to
protests that took place last month to commemorate "Nakba Day."
"On the 15th of May we celebrated the establishment of the State of
Israel, and we witnessed attempts to subvert our sovereignty and breach
our borders on behalf of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas," the prime
minister said, referring to the Nakba Day protests.
"Those actors," he added, are expected to call for similar events in the coming days.
Thirteen
people were killed last month when Israeli and Lebanese troops tried to prevent
thousands of Palestinian protesters who had surged towards its frontiers
from crossing its borders with Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of the protests, the Lebanese Army declared the area near the border with Israel a closed military zone on Thursday,
The Daily Star reported.
A source told the Lebanese daily that the move was meant to prevent keep
protesters from the border in order to prevent them from facing IDF
soldiers.