Israel restricts Christians' access to Holy Saturday celebrations in Jerusalem

Israeli authorities on Saturday blocked Christian worshippers’ access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem when they tried to mark Holy Saturday (Holy Fire), a sacred day in Easter weekend celebrations.

Israeli police erected military checkpoints on roads leading to the church in the Old City, checking IDs and denying entry to many young people, according to Palestinian state news agency WAFA.

The restrictions came as Christian communities marked Holy Saturday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, ahead of tomorrow’s Easter Sunday, as marked by many Christians.

WAFA reported that Israeli authorities barred thousands of Christians from the occupied West Bank from entering Jerusalem for the occasion, enforcing strict permit requirements for both Muslim and Christian Palestinians.

Church sources told WAFA that only 6,000 permits were issued to West Bank Christians this year, despite the community numbering around 50,000 across the Palestinian territories.

Despite the limitations, Christian pilgrims continue to travel annually to Jerusalem for the Holy Fire rituals, which take place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. However, Israeli security measures have repeatedly marred the celebrations.

For the second year in a row, participation in Holy Week and Easter ceremonies has been visibly reduced due to the ongoing Israeli onslaught in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Churches have also scaled back all celebratory activities and parades for Easter, limiting observances to religious services and prayers.

Tension has been high in the occupied West Bank, where at least 952 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 others injured since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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