But later in the day, two police officials \u2014 Jerusalem District Commander Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled and David Sub-District Commander Dvir Tamim \u2014 met with a representative of the Latin Patriarchate. They agreed on a framework that will allow all Christian denominations to worship in the church while the Iran war continues, said the police.<\/p>\n
A police official told The Times of Israel that the details of the framework would be released tomorrow after a meeting with all Christian denominations.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu\u2019s statement affirmed that Pizzaballa would henceforth be let into the Christian holy site.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have instructed the relevant authorities that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, be granted full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,\u201d he said in a statement, adding, \u201cas soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t Since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have, for security reasons, barred access to the Old City for everyone other than residents or shop owners.<\/p>\n The restrictions extend to all holy sites, including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which have been closed since March 6. Gatherings in Jerusalem and many other places nationwide remain limited to 50 people, provided a shelter can be reached in time.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, a fragment of an intercepted Iranian missile impacted in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City, around 400 meters from the Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount.<\/p>\n Days before that, missile fragments from intercepted Iranian missiles landed<\/a> near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.<\/p>\n In their previous statement on the incident, police pointed to those dangers to justify the decision to bar Pizzaballa and Ielpo, while emphasizing that \u201cfreedom of worship will continue to be upheld, subject to necessary restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSince the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, and in accordance with directives issued by the Home Front Command, all holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem have been closed to worshipers, particularly locations that do not have standard protected spaces, in order to safeguard public safety and security,\u201d police said in the earlier statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Patriarch\u2019s request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved for the reasons outlined above.\u201d<\/p>\n \t But the decision drew international condemnation from figures including US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n Huckabee said the decision was \u201cdifficult to understand or justify,\u201d while Meloni called it \u201can offense not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n Macron said, \u201cI condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the alarming proliferation of violations of the status quo of Jerusalem\u2019s Holy Sites. The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu\u2019s office had initially said the decision to block Pizzaballa was made \u201cout of special concern for his safety.\u201d But that statement added that Christian leaders would be able to access the church.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world\u2019s Christians, Israel\u2019s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25110393537410-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tCatholic pilgrims and clergymen participate in the Easter Sunday Mass led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City, April 20, 2025. (AP\/Mahmoud Illean)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25203337856133-e1753179563586-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tLatin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa speaks during a joint press conference with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, not pictured, following their visit to the Gaza Strip, in Jerusalem, July 22, 2025. (Mahmoud Illean\/AP)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our wartime journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n