In brief
Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron to Palestinian worshippers on Friday, allowing only Israeli settlers to access the site. Palestinian employees were barred and the call to prayer was suspended, while a mosque director confirmed the exclusive Jewish access. The move follows a week‑long siege of the city and stems from the 1997 Hebron Agreement, with recent attempts by Israel to seize planning powers at the holy site.
Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron to Palestinian worshippers on Friday afternoon, allowing only Israeli settlers to enter in time for a Jewish holiday. The closure, imposed at 3 p.m. and scheduled to last until 10 p.m. on Saturday, coincided with an annual Jewish observance commemorating Sarah, believed to be buried at the site.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments said worshippers and mosque employees had been barred from entering, and the call to prayer was suspended. Israeli troops tightened checkpoints and restricted movement across Hebron’s Old City, preventing some residents from entering or leaving their homes. Israeli authorities estimated about 20,000 visitors would attend the site for the holiday, and they deployed hundreds of security personnel.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh said
"Israeli authorities intended to open the mosque’s prayer halls and courtyards exclusively to Israelis,"noting that the site would be used only by Israelis during the celebration.
The closure comes just days after Israeli forces ended a 10‑day siege of Hebron that saw hundreds of arrests, 15 home demolitions and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians. Israeli troops told The Jerusalem Post that the operation was part of a broader strategy to assert Israeli control over the contested holy place.
Israel’s takeover of planning and construction powers in Hebron in June, announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, further undermines Palestinian oversight of the Ibrahimi Mosque. Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israel had security control over the Old City while the Palestinian municipality held planning and construction authority—a balance that the recent takeover threatens. The move has deepened tensions over the status of the mosque, which is revered by both Muslims and Jews as the burial site of the Prophet Abraham and his family.
