The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday ordered the cancellation of an upcoming religious event on Mount Meron in northern Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
The annual gathering, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, was expected to attract tens of thousands of participants and marks the anniversary of the birth and death of the biblical figure Moses.
Mount Meron is located just eight kilometers (five miles) from the border with Lebanon and has been targeted repeatedly by Hezbollah rockets in recent months.
“Due to the site’s proximity to the Lebanese border, I have determined that proceeding with such an event could endanger lives,” said IDF Home Front commander Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo.
Milo has requested that the Israel Police enforce the ban and prevent visitors from arriving at the site.
On Thursday morning, the IDF said that “a suspicious aerial target” had entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon and was successfully intercepted.
On April 30, 2021, 45 Israelis were crushed to death and another 150 were injured, 20 critically, during a stampede at Mount Meron in the Upper Galilee during the Lag B’Omer holiday. It was the worst civilian disaster in Israel’s history.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
