Jerusalem sees first snow in six years
Holy sites such as the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock have been covered with a rare sprinkling of snow.
Locals in the city who came out to enjoy the unusual weather were joined by others who had come from further afield so as not to miss the experience.
Snowfall in Jerusalem is uncommon but it occurs sometimes in certain parts of the country. In January and February 1950, Jerusalem experienced the largest snowfall registered since the beginning of meteorological measurements in 1870.
Holy sites were covered in snow on Thursday, with the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall under a layer of white after an overnight snowstorm.
Early in the morning children were throwing snowballs at each other outside the Old City gates.
The snowstorm began on Wednesday evening, leading the authorities to shut down public transportation and block the main road to Jerusalem.
But as it eased overnight the municipality said it would resume services.
The snowfall, which also landed in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, covered areas in the region it has not reached in years, disrupting traffic and postponing vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 and even exams at some universities