York police rolls out patrols, command posts ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary, increased Middle East tensions

York Regional Police has announced they will be deploying command posts and additional patrols amid increased tensions in the Middle East and the anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas that triggered the war in Gaza.

Starting Tuesday, officers will be conducting increased foot and mobile patrols near faith-based institutes, schools and community centres.

There will also be a command post operating from Oct. 4 to 8 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the corner of Bathurst Street and Clark Avenue near the Promenade Shopping Centre.

The other command post will be a mobile unit that will travel through multiple locations in Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.

“York police is reminding the community that we will not tolerate any form of hate crime or the threat of violence against anyone: all hate/bias incidents will be investigated thoroughly,” read their statement.

Oct. 7, 2024 will be the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the still-ongoing war in Gaza.

Israel responded with attacks in Gaza that have left more than 41,000 dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since Oct. 8, 2023, with communities in northern Israel evacuated as a result.

An airstrike last week killed Hezbollah’s longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah. Two Canadians were killed in Lebanon in Israeli airstrikes, also last week.

Last week, Canada joined G7 nations and several Middle Eastern allies in demanding a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as the fighting intensified.

With files from The Associated Press