In brief
On the Friday before a major Jewish observance, Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Palestinian worshippers. The closure, part of a broader effort to assert control over the contested holy site, allowed about 20,000 Israeli settlers to visit while Palestinians were barred. The move follows a recent change in administrative powers that further limits Palestinian oversight.
Israel’s army shut the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron to Palestinian worshippers on the Friday before a Jewish holiday, allowing Israeli settlers to visit the site while blocking Muslims and mosque staff from entering.
The mosque, also called the Cave of the Patriarchs, is a shared holy place where Muslims believe Abraham and his family are buried. Under a 1997 agreement, Israel controls security in the Old City while the Palestinian municipality manages planning, but an earlier change in June moved that planning power to Israel, raising fears that the site could eventually become an exclusive Jewish location.
The decision came after a ten‑day siege of Hebron that ended earlier this week and resulted in hundreds of arrests, 15 home demolitions and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli troops tightened checkpoints and restricted movement during the closure, which lasted from the afternoon of Friday until 10 p.m. Saturday. Israeli forces expected some 20,000 visitors and deployed hundreds of security personnel to the mosque.
Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh told Al Jazeera that the authorities intended to open the prayer halls and courtyards “exclusively to Israelis.”
Because the mosque is revered by both Muslims and Jews, the shutdown is seen as a direct attack on Palestinian religious rights and a signal that Israel may be seeking to take full control of the holy place.
The move inflames tensions with the Palestinian community and raises concerns that a site with centuries of shared history could become a flashpoint for more violence and uncertainty about the future of the West Bank.
