WATCH: Thousands gather at Western Wall for selichot prayers as 'Post' observes Yom Kippur

Thousands of Israelis gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City for Selichot prayers, a communal prayer service held in the days leading up to Yom Kippur. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the service, which was held at the Western Wall Plaza.

The Middle East Eye reported that large numbers of Palestinians were also in the area to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque and shop in the Old City. According to the Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine, Netanyahu and thousands of Israelis, including government officials and ministers, entered the Western Wall area after passing through Wadi Street in the Old City.

The Prime Minister prayed for the well-being of IDF soldiers and security forces, and captivity survivors were greeted with cheers from the crowd, according to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News. The Jerusalem Post noted that it would be pausing news coverage to observe Yom Kippur.

Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post, Middle East Eye, Arutz Sheva - Israel National News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.