Occupation enables 'Flag March' after canceling it

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Israeli media says that the Israeli cabinet decided to enable the 'Flag March' Tuesday, as per an agreement with the Israeli police and the organizers.

The statement issued following the session Tuesday mentioned: "a compromise on the march had been reached by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who put forward a new proposal for it to take place."

The Israeli government-run broadcaster KAN said that Netanyahu discussed in closed talks approving the flag march whose organizers demand that it goes through the Muslim Quarter, saying, "We will not surrender to Hamas. I believe that we should hold the march. This does not aim to sabotage the government, contrary to what is being said."

Israeli media mentioned that the security services continue to prepare for the possibility of holding the march out of fear of an escalation. Seven military police units will provide backup to the police forces all over the country. Those units, which have a thousand members total, were deployed at the beginning of Operation Guadian of the Walls, and their return to their fixed positions was temporarily suspended for a week at the request of the commander of the 'Border Guard' according to the Israeli media.

The Israeli occupation decided Saturday to cancel the settlers' flag march scheduled for Thursday in occupied Jerusalem (Al-Quds) on the previously planned route.

The Israeli announcement came the same day that Hamas warned the Israeli authorities against allowing settlers to hold the flag march and pass through Damascus Gate in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds.

Hamas political bureau leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, said, "If the confrontation with 'Israel' erupts again, the shape of the Middle East will be different from what it is now."

The Israeli occupation canceled the flag march in Al-Quds the first time after the Palestinian resistance launched rockets towards occupied Jerusalem, carrying out what it promised to do in case the occupation did not reverse its decision.

MK Ram Ben Barak saw that "the flag march planned in Jerusalem on Thursday is nothing but an attempt at fanning the flames of escalation to thwart the formation of a new government," saying that extremist right-wing parties are behind the initiative."

Israeli media reported that the organizer of the march, Yehuda Wald, said, "It seems the side that ended up deterred after Operation Guardian of the Walls is the State of Israel, which caved to the threats of terrorists and is not allowing a march of Israeli flags through the capital of the State of Israel," in an indication to the clash with the Palestinian factions in Gaza.