Overview
- Israeli police stopped Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Franciscan Custos Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Palm Sunday services on Sunday.
- Hours after the confrontation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered unrestricted and immediate access for the cardinal, with reports early Monday saying authorities then allowed him to enter.
- Police said the ban followed civil‑protection rules tied to the Iran war, noting Old City holy sites without bomb shelters are closed and citing rocket debris that recently fell near the church.
- Italy condemned the denial and summoned Israel’s ambassador, while leaders including Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez criticized the move and President Isaac Herzog expressed regret over what he called a security‑driven incident.
- Church leaders said they had already canceled the public procession and limited gatherings, calling the police action a breach of the long‑standing status quo, and wider limits on worship remain in place as Holy Week continues.