A substantial police force worked overnight and on Tuesday morning to remove hundreds of pilgrims who attempted to reach Meron and enter the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai to celebrate Lag Ba'Omer, the anniversary of his death.
According to the police, the worshippers who were caught were put on buses and taken away from the area. Many of them arrived at the site after walking a long way along roads, through forests, and on unpaved paths, and were met by police roadblocks that were erected ahead of time.
Hundreds of officers from the police, Border Police, and Traffic Division continue to operate on the ground to prevent additional worshipers from attempting to reach the site. As part of the operation, officers also stopped buses and private vehicles that attempted to approach the area.
The police claim that the increased enforcement stems only from safety concerns, given the security situation, and in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines. According to the police, entry to the area may endanger the public in the event of launches by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon, which is less than 10 kilometers away from the tomb.
At the moment, police have not removed people from Meron itself, where an estimated few thousand people are present, some of whom arrived before the weekend, and others managed to circumvent the roadblocks.