Haredi protests disrupt transport over military draft dispute

QUDS, June 02 (YPA) – Several areas inside “Israel” witnessed large-scale Haredi protests against the recruitment of students of biblical institutes, interspersed with closures of roads and central hubs, disruption of train traffic and confrontations with the occupation police.

The occupation’s media outlets said that the protests included the entrances to Al-Quds, Safed and Netivot, as well as the Ganot junction near “Tel Aviv”, in response to calls launched by the ultra-Orthodox “Quds Faction” to protest the arrest of haredi youths wanted for military service.

The occupation police announced that three of its members were slightly injured during the evacuation of demonstrators in various locations.

It reported that 4th Street is still closed to traffic between the Musubim and Gannot junctions, as well as from the Serem area to the north, while 1st Street was closed to the west from the Gannot junction to the ascent to 4th Street North.

The company “Israel trains” said that demonstrators continued to block the railway track near Ganot, which led to the stoppage of two trains in the area.

“A large number of passengers are stuck inside the two trains, without the possibility of continuing the journey, while the demonstrators continue to block the track,” it added.

The protests come against the background of the tightening of the so-called” Israeli enforcement authorities” measures against haredi youths required for military service.

Thousands of young Haredi men have been threatened with arrest since the draft exemption law expired in mid-2023.

AA