Christians in Jerusalem and Gaza marked Holy Week under wartime restrictions, with Israeli police blocking the Latin Patriarch from the Holy Sepulchre for the first time in centuries. In Gaza, a small Christian community continued Palm Sunday rites despite ongoing attacks and severe shortages of basic essentials.
Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026
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Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026
As Christians gathered in churches across Lebanon on Palm Sunday to commemorate Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah cast a sombre shadow over the celebrations.
A Maronite Catholic church near Dahiyeh in Beirut’s southern suburbs was filled to capacity, despite its proximity to the once-bustling district – now largely deserted following Israeli evacuation orders and ongoing air strikes. In the coastal city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, nearly cut off from the rest of the country by Israeli bombings that destroyed nearby bridges, church bells tolled, and choral music filled the air.
Worshippers prayed earnestly for peace, even as Lebanon’s history of sectarian tensions, rooted in the 1975–1990 civil war between Christians and Muslims, remained a poignant backdrop. Today, congregants underscore that all Lebanese people are enduring the consequences of the intensifying Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
“There’s no bombing here right now, but no one is safe from this—not the Christians, not anyone,” said Mahia Jamus, a 20-year-old university student in Beirut. “No one is spared from its effects.”
In Tyre, where many residents have stayed despite Israeli evacuation orders, Christians sought solace in preserving their sacred traditions amid the devastation surrounding them.
“Amid the wars, the tragedies, and the destruction happening around us, we remain on our land,” said Roseth Katra, 41, speaking from the centuries-old stone church in Tyre. “Today is Palm Sunday, and we are celebrating.”
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, at least 1,238 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2 amid the rapidly widening regional conflict now entering a second month.
Israeli troops have launched a ground invasion, advancing towards the Litani River. Hezbollah has claimed dozens of operations against Israeli forces in the past 24 hours.
March 29 (UPI) — Israeli police blocked Jerusalem’s top Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a centuries-old tradition to mark Palm Sunday.
The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch, and Father Francesco Ielpo, custom of the Holy Land, were stopped as they attempted to enter the church.
The two leaders traditionally lead a procession from the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where they celebrate Palm Sunday mass.
Pizzabella announced earlier in the week that the traditional procession and mass had been canceled due to the war in Iran, which has resulted in attacks in Israel. He announced the procession would be replaced by a moment of prayer.
“Preventing the entry of the cardinal and the custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the holy places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Custody of the Holy Land said.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the leaders were prevented from entering the church because of the danger of Iran strikes targeting holy sites.
“Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City to protect them,” the office said in a statement on X.
The statement said “there was no malicious intent whatsoever, only concern for [Pizzabella’s] safety and that of his party.”
“However, given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days.”
Since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, Israel has closed holy sites in Jerusalem, citing safety concerns.
Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026
Israeli police have prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to mark Palm Sunday Mass.
The Catholic Church said on Sunday that Pizzaballa and Francesco lelpo, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were both prevented from entering the church.
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“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement said.
“This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” it added.
Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem were closed due to safety concerns amid the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. During the Muslim month of Ramadan, which also coincided with the war, Al-Aqsa Mosque was also closed to worshippers.
In a statement to the AFP news agency, Israeli police said Pizzaballa’s request to deliver the Catholic mass to mark Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Christian Holy Week that ends with Easter, could not be approved.
“The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident,” the force said.
While the Catholic Church had already announced it had cancelled the traditional Palm Sunday procession, in a statement, it said Israel’s actions to ban Pizzaballa and Ielpo were a “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure”.
“This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo,” it said.
But the prevention also caused condemnation from other countries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the incident was “an offence not only to the faithful, but to any community that respects religious freedom”.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also said in a post on X that he had summoned Israel’s ambassador over the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the decision and said worship “for all religions” must be guaranteed in Jerusalem.
If you find yourself surrounded by towering palms, mod furniture, vintage-looking neon signs, a 26-foot Marilyn Monroe statue and a backdrop of bare desert mountains, chances are you’ve landed in Palm Springs.
Look, I get it: Palm Springs doesn’t exactly scream Gen Z. It’s long been known — and still functions — as a retirement haven. A place where older adults trade in puffer jackets for gallery strolls, pool lounging and taco sampling under cloudless skies.
But I, a Gen Z reporter, am here to say Palm Springs can be really fun, and it actually aligns with my generation more than you might expect.
“If you’re going to Palm Springs and you’re our age, you’re looking for spots that are content-creatable,” said Ava Bostock, a 25-year-old L.A.-based public relations professional who researches the intersection of media and youth consumer behavior. “We need the picture to prove we were there.”
Palm Springs doesn’t shy away from its past, and that’s exactly what makes it feel so current.
Gen Z, which covers those who are 14 to 29 years old, is fluent in the digital world, but we romanticize the analog: the grainy film photo, the thrifted wardrobe, the rotary-phone energy of another era. Palm Springs leans into that fantasy: sun-faded signage, bubblegum-colored motels, midcentury homes with breeze blocks and Old Hollywood flair. It’s a time capsule built for our aesthetic eye and our camera roll.
“When I revisit the past, the ’60s were so focused on the future and space age and what comes next,” Bostock said. “I don’t think our generation has that. It feels like we’re walking into the future backwards — like we’re so enchanted with the past.”
That fixation shows up in our Pinterest boards, photo filters and travel decisions. “The most iconic images of decades past are at your fingertips,” she said.
In a place like Palm Springs, where roadside signs, retro motels and Old Hollywood architecture are preserved like set pieces, Gen Z can find a slowed-down, stylized version of the past we’ve only ever seen online.
It’s not just about visuals. “The way we consume and vacation and travel is really dictated by content,” Bostock said.
That’s part of what makes Palm Springs feel uniquely Gen Z. It satisfies a generational paradox: a destination that’s hyper-photogenic yet relaxed and immersive. It’s a place where you can stage the perfect coffee photo, then put your phone down and just be.
So whether you’re tagging along with your desert-retreating parents or planning a weekend getaway with friends, here’s your Gen Z-approved guide to Palm Springs, from where to caffeinate and vintage shop to the best spots for dancing, wellness walks and content-worthy photo ops.
In January, the same team branched out with Beaton’s at Bar Cecil, a posh affair next door that flips the script on the restaurant: more cocktail-centric, mostly snacky food you stretch into a meal. Tufted red velvet cascading from the ceiling drives the louche vibes. The mid-20th-century-era sketches and prints adorning the walls are significant enough that the staff composed a booklet full of descriptions and biographies. (You’ll need a phone light to read through it.) There’s an enclosed terrace where VIPs seeking privacy tend to hang out as the night wears on. Precision-engineered cocktails cover the spectrum of tastes: not-too-sweet Singapore slings, a sharp-tongued Vesper with lemon oil, a retro-chic grasshopper blending Creme de Menthe and pandan for a nightcap. I have always been fascinated that certain Hollywood hangouts serve pigs in a blanket, and here they are, mustardy and easy to down one after another alongside shrimp cocktail, duck-meat bao, oysters, fries and, of course, caviar. Beaton’s also takes reservations but walk-ins, however variable the wait, are welcome. Try your luck. This is absolutely the place to be in Palm Springs right now.