In brief
Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Palestinian worshippers in preparation for a Jewish holiday, allowing only Israeli settlers access to the historic site. The move follows a 10‑day siege of Hebron, and is part of a broader effort to assert control over the contested holy place, deepening clashes with the Palestinian community.
Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron on Friday afternoon, preventing Palestinian worshippers from entering the site for the eve of a Jewish holiday while allowing thousands of Israeli settlers to attend.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments, worshippers and mosque employees were barred from entering and the call to prayer was suspended. The mosque, which Muslims call the Ibrahimi Mosque and Jews the Cave of the Patriarchs, is believed to house the tomb of Abraham and his family.
Singapore's Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh told Al Jazeera that Israeli authorities intended to open the mosque’s prayer halls and courtyards exclusively for Israelis. "The Israeli government is letting only Israelis use the holy site," he said.
The closure coincided with an annual Jewish observance commemorating Sarah, wife of the prophet Abraham, who is traditionally believed to be buried at the site. Israeli troops tightened checkpoints and restricted movement across Hebron’s Old City, where the mosque is located, preventing some residents from entering or leaving their homes.
Israeli forces told The Jerusalem Post that they expected about 20,000 visitors at the site for the holiday, with hundreds of security personnel deployed. The Ibrahimi Mosque is overseen under a 1997 Hebron Agreement that granted Israel security control over the Old City while the Palestinian municipality retains 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 comes just 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. The siege had intensified tensions in the area, prompting an international response.
The decision to restrict access to the mosque has inflamed tensions with the Palestinian community and drawn criticism from international observers who see it as part of a broader strategy to assert Israeli control over a contested holy place.
