Anger among the Christians of Palestine after Israel restricted the number of worshipers on Saturday of Light in Jerusalem

The Israeli police placed restrictions on the number of worshipers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem during the Orthodox Christian celebrations of the Holy Saturday that precedes the feast of Resurrection, for security reasons. Church leaders complained of what they called "draconian measures" and said they would not cooperate with the police.

Israeli police placed restrictions on the numbers of worshipers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem during the Orthodox Christian celebrations of the Holy Saturday preceding Easter, citing security concerns, angering church leaders who said they would not cooperate.

Huge crowds were expected in the narrow alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem. The police said that the restrictions, which will reduce the number of worshipers to a fifth of the usual number in past years, aim to ensure the safety of thousands of Christian worshipers as well as Muslims and Jews who celebrate their holidays and religious events.

But the decision to reduce the numbers of those celebrating Light Saturday, one of the most important Easter celebrations in the Eastern Orthodox Church, angered church leaders, who saw it as part of what they describe as a long-running Israeli effort to restrict the rights and freedoms of the local Christian community.

Church leaders complained of what they called "draconian measures" and said they would not cooperate with the police.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Custody of the Holy Land also known as (Franciscan Missionaries in the Service of the Holy Land) and the Armenian Patriarchate said in a joint statement: “We will continue to adhere to the traditions of the status quo ante, and the celebration will take place as has been the custom for two thousand years and all those who wish to pray with us are invited to attend.” ".

And unlike in previous years, when ten thousand worshipers gathered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, only 1,800 people will be allowed to enter this year, and 1,200 will be outside. Additional checkpoints around the Old City of Jerusalem will limit access to the area around the church.

Religious celebrations in the Old City are particularly sensitive this year, with Muslims celebrating Ramadan, Jews celebrating Easter and Christians celebrating Easter coinciding with rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Jewish pilgrims would not be allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan, after the police raid on the sanctuary last week caused an angry reaction from the Arab world and an exchange of fire across the borders with the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria.

"on standby"

After a series of rocket attacks and airstrikes last week, the situation has been quieter over the past few days, but Israeli officials said the potential for trouble remains.

"As I look ahead, Ramadan is still a sensitive period," said Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hajari, adding that next Friday, which may be the last Friday of Ramadan, will be closely watched.

"We are on standby," he added.

The issue of the arrival of Christian worshipers to the Old City is not directly related to the tension between Muslims and Jews in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which Jews are only allowed to visit without praying there.

But it has prompted complaints from Christians that Israeli authorities are gradually but systematically removing them from Jerusalem's Old City, and they say the Israeli authorities are changing long-standing status quo arrangements between adherents of the three faiths.

Churches say the Holy Saturday celebration has been held peacefully for centuries, with participation five times as many as the authorities allowed.

Police say a stampede at a Jewish religious festival in northern Israel two years ago highlighted the dangers of huge crowds of worshipers gathering in limited spaces.

The accident killed 45 people.

Turkey Announcing the start of handing over the first homes to earthquake-affected people on Eid Al-Fitr

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the handover of the first rural homes to earthquake victims in the affected states will start on Eid al-Fitr.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the delivery of the first rural homes to earthquake-affected people in the states of Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep will start on Eid al-Fitr.

This came in a speech on Wednesday during a Ramadan Iftar banquet at the Presidential Complex in the capital, Ankara, with search and rescue teams, affected people, and municipalities that provided aid to the earthquake-affected area.

He pointed out that efforts to remove the rubble are continuing intensively, stressing that the construction of permanent housing is continuing intensively and will be completed within a year.

He said, "We will hand over the first rural houses in the Nur Dagi district of Gaziantep and the Turkoglu district of Kahramanmaraş during Eid al-Fitr."

On February 6, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by thousands of violent aftershocks, resulting in thousands of deaths and great destruction.

Damascus and Riyadh issue a joint statement at the end of Al-Miqdad's visit to the Kingdom

Riyadh and Damascus stressed the importance of strengthening security and combating terrorism, cooperating in combating drug trafficking, and the need to support the Syrian state institutions to extend their control over their lands to end the presence of armed militias.

This came in a joint Saudi-Syrian statement at the end of the visit of Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The statement said: “Within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness and interest in everything that would serve the issues of our Arab nation, and promote the interests of its countries and peoples, and in response to an invitation from His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic The Syrian sister, His Excellency Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, visited the Kingdom on Ramadan 21, 1444 AH.

The statement added, "A session of talks was held between the two sides, during which they discussed the efforts exerted to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves Syria's unity, security, stability, Arab identity, and territorial integrity, in a way that achieves the good of its brotherly people."

Return of refugees and displaced persons 

The statement continued: "The two sides agreed on the importance of resolving humanitarian difficulties, providing the appropriate environment for aid to reach all regions in Syria, creating the necessary conditions for the return of Syrian refugees and displaced persons to their areas, ending their suffering, enabling them to return safely to their homeland, and taking more measures that would contribute In stabilizing the situation throughout the Syrian territories.

The two sides stressed - according to the statement - the importance of strengthening security and combating terrorism in all its forms and organizations, and enhancing cooperation in combating drug smuggling and trafficking, and the need to support the Syrian state institutions, to extend their control over its lands to end the presence of armed militias there, and external interference in the Syrian internal affairs.

A comprehensive political settlement of the Syrian crisis 

The two sides also discussed the necessary steps to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the Syrian crisis that would end all its repercussions, achieve national reconciliation, and contribute to the return of Syria to its Arab surroundings and the resumption of its natural role in the Arab world.