Orthodox Christians arrived to Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday (April 11) to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony.

The Holy Fire is considered a miracle, symbolising Jesus' resurrection, occurring every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter Sunday (April 12).

After many hours of waiting, on Saturday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch emerged from the sealed empty tomb with a lit candle, they say lit by the holy fire.

The flames were then passed from person to person around the church and with both local Christians and foreign pilgrims who were waiting in the narrow streets nearby.

Palestinian Christians have complained of restrictions put in place by Israeli authorities to attend the ceremony.

Israeli police told Reuters "Those who grant access are the church, the number of maximum capacity is a safety engineer, not the police."

The Holy Sepulchre lies at the heart of the Old City's Christian Quarter in East Jerusalem.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites, after 1967 Middle East War in a move not recognised internationally. It sees Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

JERUSALEM (APRIL 11, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VIEW OF INSIDE CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHRE DURING HOLY FIRE CEREMONY

2. VARIOUS OF GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH THEOPHILOS III, INSIDE CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHRE AS PART OF HOLY FIRE CEREMONY

3. SCOUTS IN CHURCH

4. GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH THEOPHILOS III, COMING OUT OF JESUS' TOMB CARRYING CANDLES LIT

5. VIEW OF CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHRE FROM INSIDE AS WORSHIPPERS HOLDING LIT CANDLES, AUDIO OF BELLS TOLLING

6. PEOPLE CARRYING CANDLES INSIDE CHURCH

7. PATRIARCH EMERGING FROM TOMB WITH LIT CANDLES

8. NUNS CARRYING LIT CANDLES

9. WORSHIPPERS INSIDE CHURCH CARRYING LIT CANDLES

10. PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN CARRYING LIT CANDLES INSIDE CHURCH AND SAYING IN (English) CHRIST IS RISEN

11. VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS IN CHURCH HOLDING LIT CANDLES, AUDIO OF BELLS TOLLING

12. VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS HEADING OUT OF CHURCH CARRYING LIT CANDLES

13. WOMAN CARRYING LIT CANDLES

14. WORSHIPPERS CARRYING LIT CANDLES

15. VARIOUS OF PRIESTS AND CHRISTIANS RINGING BELLS OF CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHRE

16. GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH THEOPHILOS III, IN THE ALLEYS OF THE OLD CITY

17. PEOPLE CARRYING LIT CANDLES INSIDE OLD CITY