The Western Wall in Jerusalem was reopened to the public on Thursday morning following a six-week closure amid the war with Iran.
“We are pleased to update that, in accordance with the Home Front Command guidelines, the Western Wall will be open to the general public without restrictions starting Thursday, the 23rd of Nisan (April 9) at 5:00 a.m.,” the Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced on its website.
“We wish all of the House of Israel a healthy summer and good tidings,” the foundation added.
After more than a month of being closed except for a limited section, this morning the Western Wall reopened to the public. pic.twitter.com/pvTSB4eTNF
— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) April 9, 2026
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday announced updated defensive guidelines following a situational assessment by the military’s Home Front Command in the wake of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
While restrictions were maintained in the north, most of the country resumed full activity on Thursday morning, except for the Lower and Central Galilee, the Valleys, Carmel, Wadi Ara, Menashe, Samaria, Sharon, Dan, Yarkon, and Judean Lowlands regions, where gatherings were still capped at 1,000 people.
On Feb. 28, the first day of “Operation Roaring Lion” against Tehran, an Iranian warhead impacted a few hundred meters from Jerusalem’s Old City. Throughout the war, shrapnel from Iranian missiles, as well as cluster bomblets, hit the city.
Due to the war with the Islamic Republic, only a few dozen people were allowed to attend the restricted priestly blessing, or Birkat Kohanim, recited during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which typically attracts tens of thousands of worshipers to the Western Wall.
