MOSCOW, November 20 (Sputnik) — Israeli police said Thursday that it had seized a container packed with light weapons heading for East Jerusalem which came to the city of Ashdod by way of China.
"Container from China arrived at Ashdod port headed for East Jerusalem packed with knives/swords," Israel Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said on his Twitter. Five suspects have been arrested, he added.
According to the Jerusalem Post, some 18,000 restricted fireworks, 5,200 commando knives, 5,500 Taser electroshock weapons, 1,100 swords and 4,300 flashlights that could be modified into improvised Tasers were uncovered by police officers, who believe that the weapons were intended for use by rioters.
Footage from the confiscation shows that the weapons were hidden among Christmas decorations.
Tensions in Jerusalem have been on the rise in recent weeks amid Israel's decision to boost construction of housing units in East Jerusalem, as well as speculation on Israeli plans to change the status quo of the Temple Mount.
On Tuesday morning, five people were killed and seven wounded in an attack carried out by two Palestinians with knives and axes at a synagogue in Har Nof neighborhood located on the western boundary of Jerusalem. Both assailants were shot dead by police.
On November 5, Israeli police shot and killed a man who drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians in Jerusalem, killing one and injuring 13 others. A similar incident took place in Jerusalem in late October, when a 3-month-old infant and a 22-year-old student from Ecuador were killed by a Palestinian attacker who rammed his car into a tram stop.
