Jerusalem's major holy sites were closed ahead of Passover and Easter as the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran entered its fifth week. The closures and wartime safety restrictions curtailed religious observances across the city.

Since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Jerusalem has repeatedly come under fire. An intercepted Iranian missile sprayed shrapnel on the rooftop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and missile debris hit a road leading to the Western Wall. A local Catholic high school was also struck by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile, according to the parish priest.

Israeli military guidelines prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people have forced the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall plaza. The Al Aqsa Mosque compound has been closed since the start of the war, canceling prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended earlier this month. Smaller synagogues, mosques, and churches in Jerusalem remain open to groups of up to 50 people if they are located near a shelter.

The priestly blessing for Passover, which usually draws tens of thousands of worshippers, will take place with 50 attendees. The Latin Patriarchate canceled the Palm Sunday procession commemorating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Mass is being celebrated for up to 50 parishioners at the Saint Saviour monastery's marble hall, which has been approved by the Israeli military as a shelter. The Magnificat Institute music school, located in what was once the convent's basement at the monastery, has also been approved by the military as a shelter.

Police orders have closed all non-food stores in the Old City as part of wartime safety guidelines. Metal shutters were drawn on nearly all stores, and plazas that are typically crowded with worshippers and tourists were largely empty. Observant Jewish families in the city have had to remove traces of leavening between runs to shelters while cleaning for Passover. Jewish families are planning smaller Passover seders in response to the war.

Jamie Geller, a cookbook author, said, "It's shocking. The Old City has always been a bit off limits for international terror and war, but not this time." Rami Asakrieh, a parish priest, said, "It will not come by having fear, but by having faith."

Ben Gurion Airport has been operating on a severely limited basis throughout the war. Some Israelis are leaving the country through the land crossing into the Sinai desert ahead of Passover.