Bethlehem Marks Holy Saturday with Solemn Prayers Amid Gaza War and West Bank Blockade

BETHLEHEM / PNN /  

Amid religious rituals and official reception, the city of Bethlehem marked Holy Saturday — the day before Easter — with solemnity and prayer rather than festivity, as the ongoing war in Gaza and Israeli military pressure in Jerusalem and the West Bank cast a heavy shadow over the holiday.

Hundreds of Palestinian Christians gathered in Manger Square for the arrival of the Holy Fire, a sacred Easter tradition. Church leaders had previously decided…