Police stop allowing buses to reach Meron over security fears

9 May 2023, 5:22 am

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Police are no longer allowing buses to reach Mount Meron in Israel’s north as they look to secure the country before an expected counter-attack by Islamic Jihad following Israel assassinating a trio of the group’s leaders.

Hundreds of thousands are gathered on Meron for an annual all-night pilgrimage at a shrine revered as the tomb of second century mystic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

Though Meron is practically as far from Gaza as one can get, it is relatively close to the border with Lebanon. Last month, terrorists in southern Lebanon aligned with Hamas in Gaza fired rockets at northern Israel during a flareup.

Buses may resume following a situational assessment at 6 a.m. Other activities at the shrine continue as normal.