Palm Sunday in the Middle East - in pictures

Christians in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza attended Mass to celebrate the traditional holiday marking the Sunday before Easter

A priest blesses a child from the back of a pick-up truck during Palm Sunday celebrations in Qlayaa, southern Lebanon. Reuters

People celebrate Palm Sunday during a mass held at the Lady of Damascus church, in the mostly Christian-populated Al Qassaa district, in Damascus, Syria. EPA

Mass at the Lady of Damascus church. Palm Sunday is a Christian celebration that falls on the Sunday before Easter. EPA

In most liturgical churches, Palm Sunday is celebrated by the blessing and distribution of palm branches. EPA

Priests lead the procession at the Lady of Damascus church. EPA

Sisters of Mother Teresa and other nuns arrive to attend the Palm Sunday mass at the Roman Catholic church of the Holy Family in Gaza City. AFP

Palestinian Christians attend the Palm Sunday mass at the Roman Catholic church of the Holy Family in Gaza City. AFP

A woman greets clergymen riding in a car as a priest roams around the area to bless devotees during Palm Sunday, in Qlayaa, southern Lebanon. Reuters

Lebanese Christians celebrate the traditional Palm Sunday procession as they walk in front of a Greek Catholic Church in the Museum area of Beirut. EPA

Boys attend Palm Sunday celebrations, outside a church in Damascus, Syria. Reuters

The Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family officiates at the Palm Sunday Mass, in Gaza City. AP

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