After roughly 40 days of strict crowd limits, the Western Wall plaza reopened to full capacity this morning (Thursday), following updated defense policies and revised Home Front Command guidelines.
Previously, access to the site had been restricted to groups of up to 50 worshippers at a time.
With the easing of restrictions, thousands arrived at the plaza early in the day, marking a return after weeks of limited entry. Many gathered to offer prayers of gratitude, as well as prayers for the safety of Israeli forces, the recovery of those injured, and for peace and stability across the country.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced that the tefillin station at the entrance to the men's section, along with the Western Wall Tunnel sites, have also reopened to visitors. Tickets for individuals and groups can now be booked on the foundation’s website or by phone.
The foundation stated that it was “moving to witness people from across Israeli society returning in large numbers to the Western Wall plaza, the spiritual heart of the Jewish people, after such an extended period of restrictions." It also invited the public to visit the site once again for prayer and tours of the tunnels.