Palestinian Christians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem have been celebrating Easter, despite the continued closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Israeli authorities and restrictions on movement.
Christian churches following the Western calendar held masses for Eastern Sunday across the West Bank, including in Bethlehem , Beit Sahour, and Beit Jala, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa .
This included a special mass at St Catherine's Church of the Latins in Bethlehem.
Eastern churches, including those from the Greek Orthodox, Syriac, Armenian and Ethiopian communities, celebrated Palm Sunday, including in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.
A procession took place after mass in the church courtyard, marching to the to the Greek Orthodox Monastery along Magharat al-Khalil street.
Despite the celebrations in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities continue to restrict access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christianity, believed to be the site of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
Israeli checkpoints mark the routes approaching the church, and worshippers are screened, with only a small number being allowed near the site.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa entered the church with a group of clergy at dawn, while Catholic and Orthodox Christians were kept from the church by security forces.
"How can you tell me I cannot go to church, it is unacceptable" one Catholic from Tel Aviv told AFP .
Israeli restrictions limit large gatherings in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem, with shops also closed, despite shops being allowed to open in Israeli West Jerusalem.
One shopkeeper interviewed by Al Jazeera continues to sell products from his shop, keeping the entrance half-shuttered to evade Israeli authorities.
Shops in the Christian quarter of the city are reliant on tourism and international pilgrims for business.
Father Bernad Poggi, who is preparing to attend a mass in another church close to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, told AFP : "It seems to be more and more that there's an unevenness in how the laws are put into practice."
Since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February, religious worshippers have faced severe restrictions in occupied East Jerusalem, with Muslim worshippers barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Eid and most of Ramadan
It was the first time Israel had blocked Eid prayers at the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, since 1967.
Cardinal Pizzaballa was previously barred entry into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday on 29 March, prompting condemnation from Western leaders and an intervention from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Agencies contributed to this report