The decision was made ahead of a period of Jewish holidays when tensions often escalate in Jerusalem and the West Bank (Repeats with amended slug; no change to story text) Sept 28 : Israel’s military said on Saturday it was mobilizing three reserve battalions to bolster the defenses of its central command, whose areas of operation includes the occupied West Bank . The decision was made ahead of a period of Jewish holidays when tensions often escalate in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where conflict with Palestinian militants has resurged during Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. “In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF is calling up three reserve battalions for operational activities and to strengthen the defense in the Central Command,” the military said. It provided no further details.