RAMALLAH, April 19, 2025 (WAFA) – Christian churches across Palestine commemorated Holy Saturday today, a sacred observance preceding Easter Sunday, in a solemn and restricted atmosphere due to the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and the clampdown on Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, led a special service at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, accompanied by a number of bishops, priests, and a limited group of worshippers who managed to reach the church despite severe Israeli restrictions and military checkpoints encircling the Old City.

For the second year in a row, traditional Holy Saturday celebrations were absent, with no festive parades or scout processions, as the Christian community mourned amid the ongoing Israeli assault on the Palestinian people since October 2023.

Following the emergence of the Holy Fire from the Holy Tomb within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the sacred flame was transferred to Palestinian cities including Ramallah and al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Jericho and the Jordan Valley, Nablus, and Jenin, as well as to churches in the 1948 territories. The Holy Fire was also sent abroad to ignite Easter candles in churches around the world.

In Ramallah, the Holy Fire arrived at the Transfiguration Church, where it was welcomed with prayers in a quiet ceremony absent of public celebration. The event was attended by Ramzi Khoury, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, along with Ramallah Governor Leila Ghannam, Mayor Issa Kassis, security officials, local dignitaries, and religious leaders from both Christian and Muslim communities.

In Gaza, where the ongoing Israeli blockade and war prevented the arrival of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem, prayers were held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius and the Holy Family Catholic Church.

Earlier in the day, Israeli forces assaulted several Palestinians near Bab Al Jadid Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City and prevented dozens of families from accessing their homes. Worshippers heading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were obstructed and detained at military checkpoints, including Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and the Vatican’s representative to the State of Palestine.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli police imposed an overwhelming military presence around the Old City, turning it into a fortress of checkpoints and restrictions. Some worshippers inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were also subjected to physical assaults during the arrival of the Holy Fire.

M.N