World

Hebron Mosque Closed to Palestinians as Israeli Settlers Gather for Jewish Holiday

By Al Jazeera Staff

Israeli forces shut the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City to Palestinian worshippers while thousands of Israeli settlers assembled for a Jewish religious celebration. The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments said worshippers and mosque employees were barred from entering and the call to prayer was suspended. Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh told Al Jazeera that Israeli authorities planned to open the mosque’s prayer halls and courtyards only to Israelis. The closure, imposed on Friday afternoon and scheduled to last until 10 pm Saturday, coincides with an annual Jewish observance commemorating Sarah, the wife of Prophet Abraham, who is traditionally believed to be buried at the site. Israeli troops tightened checkpoints and restricted movement across the Old City, preventing some residents from entering or leaving their homes. Israeli forces told The Jerusalem Post they expected about 20,000 visitors at the site for the holiday, with hundreds of security personnel deployed. The Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, is revered by both Muslims and Jews as the burial site of the Prophet Abraham and his family. Under a 1997 Hebron Agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel assumed security control over the Old City while Hebron’s Palestinian municipality holds planning and construction powers. In June, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a takeover of those powers, undermining Palestinian oversight of the holy site and raising fears that Israel was seeking to seize the site for exclusive Jewish use. The closure follows days after Israeli forces ended a 10‑day siege of Hebron, which saw hundreds of arrests, 15 home demolitions and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians. Israeli settlers have steadily expanded their presence in Hebron’s Old City, seizing Palestinian properties and establishing new outposts under Israeli military protection.