Thousands of people attended the traditional priestly blessing or "Birkat Cohanim" event at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Traditionally, Jewish pilgrims make their way twice a year to the Western Wall on the intermediate days of the Passover and Sukkot festivals, with crowds of men and women spilling out from the Wall’s plaza to surrounding areas.

The ceremony, which sees male descendants of the Kohanim priestly caste gather to bestow a benediction, involves the raising of hands to perform the blessing, with those conducting the blessing wrapped in prayer shawls.

Hundreds of police and Border Police were deployed in the Old City to secure access routes to the event and the many visitors were expected to the Old City during the day.

Photo: Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90