JERUSALEM, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel largely shut down at sundown on Sunday for Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar's most important day, with flights and public transport suspended.
Israel's main international airport, the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, halted operations at 1:00 p.m. local time, the Airports Authority said in a statement, adding that departures and arrivals would resume early on Tuesday.
Trains, buses and light rail services also stopped across the country, with services due to resume gradually after the holiday ends on Monday night.
A Xinhua photographer saw large trucks blocking a major road in Tel Aviv to prevent vehicles from passing.
In central Tel Aviv, streets around Habima Square emptied of their usual buses, cafe crowds, and restaurant traffic as families, cyclists, and pedestrians took over the roads.
Yom Kippur, or the "Day of Atonement," is a time for reflection and repentance for Jews. Jews traditionally fast on this day and hold intense services in synagogues through most of the day.
The day begins on Sunday at dusk and ends on Monday at nightfall. Most businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues close across Israel, with laws restricting employment and business openings during Yom Kippur.
Israel also imposed a general closure on the occupied West Bank for the holiday, restricting Palestinian movement into Israel and temporarily closing all crossings between the territory and Israel. ■
