Adedokun Waliyu 
Police in Ottawa are preparing for the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Ottawa police said Wednesday they were “closely monitoring the situation and assessing any potential impacts on our local community,” including “increasing our presence and patrols around Jewish and Islamic places of worship, as well as community centres.”
Police in the national capital are not the only ones announcing increased measures in advance of the anniversary.
In Toronto, police chief Myron Demkiw told reporters there would be more plainclothes and uniformed officers, as well as patrol cars, dispatched across that city to address the potential for increased protest activity and violent acts. There will also be multiple command posts in Jewish neighbourhoods and at various mosques in the city, and police are working with partners and intelligence services to monitor potential threats, Demkiw said.
Monday will mark one year since Hamas militants attacked Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took dozens of hostages. The invasion triggered an ongoing war in Gaza. Since then, the enclave has seen more than 37,0000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and the Hamas militants who run the Gaza Strip, launched dozens of missiles into Israel earlier this week, as reported by The Associated Press. Israel warned that the attack would have “repercussions.”
