Jerusalem/PNN / 

Israeli occupation forces clamped down on worshippers and prevented dozens of families from reaching their homes in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem on Saturday, coinciding with Christian observances of Holy Saturday, which precedes Easter.

Local sources reported that Israeli forces transformed the Old City of Jerusalem into a military zone, erecting checkpoints throughout the area and its alleyways leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The heavy military presence severely restricted access for worshippers during one of the most sacred Christian celebrations of the year.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces obstructed the movement of worshippers—including the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and the Vatican’s representative to the State of Palestine, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana—detaining them at checkpoints and denying access to the church.

Jerusalem-based journalist and activist Rafi Ghattas shared a video from the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, noting that Israeli police forces outnumbered the worshippers. He said tight restrictions left the church and its surrounding square largely empty, a stark contrast to the usual crowds seen during this annual event. Ghattas also reported that Israeli forces assaulted worshippers inside the church.

Israeli authorities also barred thousands of Christian Palestinians from the West Bank from entering Jerusalem to take part in the Holy Saturday services. As in past years, Palestinian Christians and Muslims alike are required to obtain special permits to pass through Israel’s military checkpoints in order to access their places of worship, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

For the second consecutive year, only a limited number of pilgrims are participating in Holy Week and Easter services in Jerusalem, amid the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and the West Bank, which began in October 2023.

Churches in Jerusalem have canceled all festive celebrations and traditional parades for Easter, limiting the observance to liturgies, prayers, and religious rites.

This afternoon, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III is set to lead a special prayer inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to receive the “Holy Fire,” which will then be distributed to churches in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, and towns inside the 1948 territories, as well as to churches abroad.