Israel has blamed Iran for the blockade of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a situation which prevented Christian leaders and worshippers from observing Palm Sunday. The government announced that President Isaac Herzog spoke with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to express regret over the episode. Cardinal Pizzaballa and the Holy Land's Custos, Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, were among those shut out from the fourth-century parish, also known as the Church of the Resurrection. Herzog noted that the "unfortunate" event arose from "the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel." The President said the security of civilians was prioritized following incidents of Iranian missiles