Gaza, Alray - Israeli occupation police surrounded Saturday at dawn Church of Holy Sepulchre spreading its elements extensively in the church yards, in light of the Christians’ commemoration of Holy Saturday.

Head of the Palestinian National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land Dmitry Diliani said “the Israeli forces surrounded the church since the dawn hours,”

“Thousands of police and military intelligence elements deployed on checkpoints around and inside the Old City of Jerusalem to the vicinity of the church while a heavy security presence in the church yards, on rooftops and inside.”

“The occupation stressed restrictions around the church to prevent Palestinian Christians from performing rituals on Holy Saturday, as these rituals reflect the depth  of the religious and cultural heritage as an inherent Christian component of Jerusalem’s identity, and the Israeli occupation is trying to blur this identity by Zionist projects."

“Jerusalem is being turned into a military barrack since last midnight, and Christians’ way to Church is being blocked, while foreign tourists are provided with Israelis ushers,”

In this context, Diliani condemned that the Israeli occupation bans thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from reaching Jerusalem for religious practice during Easter holiday, including the rites of Holy Saturday, confirming that “this ban is a form of religious persecution perpetrated by the occupation against anyone who is not a Jew."