Israeli police have blocked the head of the Catholic church in Jerusalem from entering Christianity's holiest site to celebrate Palm Sunday.
The Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Reverend Francesco Ielpo were stopped outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - where Jesus Christ was allegedly crucified, and where they planned to hold a mass to mark the start of Holy Week, church authorities said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said worshippers of 'all faiths' had been asked not to visit sites in Jerusalem's Old City for safety reasons after recent Iranian attacks.
But the move has drawn strong criticism from global leaders as well as the church.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated it was an 'unfortunate overreach' that was 'difficult to understand or justify'.
Cardinal Pizzaballa's office indicated it was "the first time in centuries" a Latin Patriarch had been turned away from the holy site on Palm Sunday, which marks Christ's fabled return to Jerusalem.
He and Rev Ielpo had been 'compelled' to turn back from the church, where Christ was also believed to have been buried and subsequently resurrected, it said.
This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who during this week, look to Jerusalem, a statement from the patriarchate said.
Netanyahu defended the police's decision as being based on 'special' safety concerns amid threats from Iranian missile strikes in the region. He mentioned that a plan was in place to allow church leaders to worship at the site in the coming days.
The traditional Palm Sunday procession into the city had already been canceled due to restrictions on public gatherings.
The police have maintained strict controls since the onset of the US-Israel war against Iran, which began on February 28, citing security concerns for all religious sites. Netanyahu noted that over the past weeks, such holy sites have been 'repeatedly targeted' by missile strikes.
As a result, Israel temporarily asked worshippers of all faiths to refrain from entering these sites to ensure safety.
This Latin Patriarch's barring from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been condemned by various international leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who both emphasized the importance of religious freedom in Jerusalem.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his sorrow regarding this incident, reaffirming Israel's commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and the preservation of the status quo at holy sites.
