Holy Fire ceremony lights up al-Quds' Holy Sepulchre Church

Christians gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied al-Quds on Saturday, April 19, to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony, a sacred ritual marking Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch emerged from the sealed tomb with a lit candle, and the flame was shared among worshippers inside the church and with crowds of local Christians and foreign pilgrims waiting outside. However, Palestinian Christians faced heavy restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, with widely circulated footage showing occupation police blocking access to the church and violently assaulting Palestinians gathered to observe the ceremony.