Israel Warns Hamas Not to Disrupt Holocaust Event As World Leaders Gather in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Israel - More than 40 world leaders and heads of state are making their way to Jerusalem this week to participate in ceremonies to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The Fifth World Holocaust Forum will feature dignitaries like US Vice President Mike Pence, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and French President Emanuel Macron.

With so many world leaders visiting Israel at one time, the country has warned Hamas not to disrupt the summit for fear of severe retaliation, Israel's Channel 13 reports.

The report says Israel believes Hamas is responsible for a recent increase in explosive balloon attacks in the south. In recent days, terrorists in Gaza have attached explosives to helium balloons and sent them flying into Israel, a cheap strategy popularized in 2018 during the March of Return riots on the southern border.

Image Credit: Israeli Police

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has deployed more Iron Dome batteries in the south to confront any possible rocket attacks from Hamas or other Gaza terror groups.

The report said Israel is also using the full force of the Shin Bet Security Agency to keep world leaders safe and deter any terror attacks.

Israel is also deploying 10,000 police to monitor the streets of Jerusalem and other sensitive areas during the event.

An official newspaper from the Palestinian Authority drew alarm on Monday when one of its columnists wrote that "One shot will disrupt the ceremony and one dead body will cancel the ceremony."

"It is scandalous that the PA is allowing its official daily to call for murder to achieve a political goal," Palestinian Media Watch Director Itamar Marcus said, as reported by The Jewish Press.

"Whereas we are used to hearing the PA call for the killing of Israelis for political purposes, here the implicit targets could be any of those world leaders who are honoring the memory of the Holocaust victims by their presence in Jerusalem," he continued.

The Fifth World Holocaust Forum is scheduled to take place on January 23 at Yad Vashem.

World leaders will begin arriving on Tuesday, while most are expected to come on Wednesday.