Israeli police stopped clergymen from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “for the first time in centuries,” church officials said.
The temporary measure, during the holy Muslim fasting month, follows tensions as Jewish activists increasingly encroach on the contested religious site.
In an email to embassy workers Friday morning, Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned them that if they wanted to leave Israel, they “should do so TODAY.”
Bulldozers leveled some structures in a compound that belonged to UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, escalating Israel’s crackdown on the organization.
One of Israel’s leading archaeologists, he found evidence that the writing of the Old Testament likely began much earlier than historians had thought.
Municipal officials say the action was about unpaid taxes. The U.N. relief agency for Palestinians says it is exempt from taxes and should be immune from such a raid, calling it illegal.
The diplomatic deals that opened ties between Israel and several Arab countries were hailed as a landmark moment, but have failed to bring peace to the Middle East.
Under the first phase of the new cease-fire deal, all of the living hostages in Gaza are expected to be released in the next 24 hours in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Leaders welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas, projecting optimism that an end to the war could be near.
Leaders welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas, projecting optimism that an end to the war could be near.