The Israeli occupation police turned the city of occupied Jerusalem and its Old City into a military zone, obstructing the access of Christians to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Holy Saturday.

Occupation forces assaulted Christian worshippers arriving at the church and prevented them from entering, denying thousands the right to reach Jerusalem and participate in the Holy Saturday celebrations.

Church sources reported that the occupation authorities issued only 6,000 permits for Palestinian Christians from the West Bank, although the Christian population in those areas is estimated at 50,000.

Dimitri Diliani, head of the National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land, stated that what is happening in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday is a clear manifestation of a deliberate and racist occupation policy aimed at extinguishing a spiritual flame that has remained alight for 2,000 years.