Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem closed amid security threats

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: UOJ

On February 28, 2026, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City was closed by police order, Religion News reports, amid heightened tensions following a military operation by Israel and the United States against Iran.

Israel’s Home Front Command announced a ban on mass gatherings due to the threat of possible retaliatory strikes. As a result, schools, a number of businesses, airports, and places of worship – churches, mosques, and synagogues – were closed across the country. Jerusalem’s Old City was temporarily closed to visitors, with access limited to residents, clergy, and essential-service personnel.

On Sunday, Christian clergy across Israel held services, but in most churches the pews were empty. “Priests will celebrate Mass as usual, but no one will be able to come,” said Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, citing new instructions from the Home Front Command.

According to media reports, on Sunday the warhead of an Iranian missile fell in open terrain a few hundred meters from the Old City of Jerusalem. The authorities say the restrictions will remain in place until the security situation stabilizes.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Ukrainian Embassy held a “prayer for Ukraine” in Jerusalem at the Western Wall.

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