Israel deploys anti-missile batteries outside Tel Aviv

The Israeli army has deployed elements of its Iron Dome missile-defense system on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israeli Radio reported Thursday.

According to the broadcaster, the deployments were made "in light of tensions in the north and south" -- references to Syria and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip respectively.

The move comes one day before Palestinians plan to hold weekly demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone -- demonstrations to which Israeli troops typically respond with deadly force.

The deployments around Tel Aviv also come in the wake of several recent Israeli air raids into Syrian territory.