Thousand of Christian Catholics from all over the world celebrated the "Good Friday", the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Christ, by walking the path of pain in the streets of old Jerusalem amid a heavy security presence, a comprehensive closure of the Palestinian territories and the closure of crossings with the Gaza Strip.
Israeli occupation forces deployed heavily in the old Jerusalem roads and at the entrances to Jerusalem, heavily armed with tear gas and iron barricades on the roads leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Christian believers and pilgrims transported crosses of different shapes, sizes, flags and banners representing their countries.
The Catholic procession marched on Friday morning from the court of Ptolemy, where Christ was crucified, following his footsteps on the path of pain and stopping at the 14th stage before reaching his crucifixion where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located in occupied East Jerusalem.
When the procession arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, considered to be the holiest place for Christians who believe that it was built at the site of Christ´s burial and then resurrection, the believers were quick to reach the broom in the center of the church´s chest. And knelt in front of the slab of laundry, some of them touching the tile with his hands and wiping his face, and some of them sprinkle water and wiped with his tissue to be sanctified by them and wept from this occasion.
The Old City was crowed with worshipers at the crossroads of the pain road, which intersected with the Muslim road to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Jewish road to the Al-Buraq Wall, coinciding with Easter.
The occupation imposed a total closure on the West Bank since midnight on Thursday and closed the crossings with the Gaza Strip during the Jewish Passover, which falls on Friday.
Wadih Abu Nassar, advisor to the heads of the Churches in the Holy Land, said Jerusalem "must be open to all."
