Thousands of Israelis who followed the conservative branch of Judaism on January 31 attended the funeral of a famous cleric in Jerusalem, ignoring the prohibition on gathering between Covid-19.

The funeral of cleric Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at the age of 99, passed through the streets of Jerusalem, in defiance of regulations enacted by the Israeli authorities to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic.

Large crowds gathered outside cleric Soloveitchik's home to show their opposition to the ban on outdoor gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.

Thousands of people dressed in black who attended the funeral passed through the main city gate leading to the cemetery where clergy Soloveitchik was buried.

Israel has so far recorded more than 640,000 infections and more than 4,700 deaths from Covid-19.

Health experts say it takes several weeks for the vaccination campaign to impact infection rates and hospitalization.

A large number of Covid-19 infections in Israel have been reported among the minority of the conservative Jewish lineage.

In recent weeks, Israel has seen many clashes between police and conservative Jews who have not complied with anti-epidemic regulations.

Gideon Saar, a right-wing politician who criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter, said that "images from Jerusalem show that he has given up law enforcement for political motives".

"This won't happen if the government is led by me. There will be only one law and it is open to everyone," Saar said.

Israel plans to extend the national blockade for another week starting tonight as infection rates remain high.