Israeli police erected military checkpoints on roads leading to the church in the Old City, checking IDs and denying entry to many young people, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing Palestinian state news agency Wafa.
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.
In a statement by the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, chaired by PLO Executive Committee member Ramzi Khouri, the committee strongly condemned “the Israeli occupation authorities for imposing sweeping restrictions on Christian worshippers and foreign pilgrims during Holy Saturday celebrations in occupied Jerusalem.”
Most notably, Israeli authorities denied entry to the Apostolic Delegate and Vatican Ambassador to Palestine Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, an act that violates diplomatic protocols and international conventions, added the committee.
Yet, once again, the Israeli occupation has turned this spiritual occasion into a militarized ordeal, obstructing worshippers and imposing heavy restrictions,” it said.
Calling for urgent international action, the committee appealed to the United Nations, global human rights bodies, churches and Christian institutions worldwide to intervene, according to Anadolu.
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.
Churches have also scaled back all celebratory activities and parades for Easter, limiting observances to religious services and prayers.
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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