Israel went on high alert yesterday for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and Israel Radio said security forces feared revenge attacks over the bungled attempt to kill a Hamas leader in Jordan. A police spokeswoman said security had been increased at synagogues and patrols reinforced around Jerusalem, where 21 Israelis were killed in two suicide bombings by Hamas Islamic militants on July 30th and September 4th.
She said the measures for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, were in line with those taken on other holy days.
Israel's army said all Palestinians would be barred from entering the Jewish state from the West Bank and Gaza Strip for all but urgent humanitarian reasons. The general closure takes effect each year for Yom Kippur, a 25-hour period of fast and prayer which began yesterday evening.
The Canadian government said yesterday it was sending its ambassador back to Israel after Ottawa received a written apology and assurances from Israel about the use of Canadian passports by Mossad agents.