Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf Condemns Closure of Ibrahimi Mosque to Worshippers

The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs condemned the repeated closure of the gates of the Holy Ibrahimi Mosque by occupation forces in front of worshippers, at a time when its doors are open to settlers.

The ministry also denounced the targeting of the staff working in the mosque, the restrictions imposed on them, and the obstruction of their daily work. It affirmed that these practices represent an assault on the Awqaf's authorities and a violation of international laws.

It emphasized that "these measures come as part of a systematic policy to restrict worshippers and limit their access to the mosque, and to impose a new reality on the mosque."

In a related context, dozens of settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, stormed the Old City in Hebron and imposed restrictions on the movement of residents and merchants.

They explained that settlers storm the city every Saturday, where they listen to explanations from guides accompanying them, while the lives of Palestinians are disrupted as shoppers avoid going to the city, leading to economic stagnation and paralysis.

At the end of last month, occupation authorities handed over to the mosque administration a decision to confiscate the inner courtyard and posted the decision on the walls of the mosque from inside and outside.

The director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, Moataz Abu Senina, said that the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf -in cooperation with official institutions- submitted a legal objection and followed up the file in Israeli courts, in addition to submitting an official objection to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), considering that the mosque is listed on the World Heritage List.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) considered the occupation authorities' decision a blatant aggression within the Judaization of holy sites.

The movement said -in a statement- that the Israeli decision falls "within a systematic policy to impose full control over the Ibrahimi Mosque, after years of military siege and restrictions on worshippers, and turning its surroundings into a settlement outpost serving ethnic cleansing projects in the heart of Hebron city."

The Ibrahimi Mosque is located in the Old City, which is under full Israeli occupation control. In 1994, Israel divided the Ibrahimi Mosque by 63% for Jews and 37% for Muslims, following a massacre committed by a Jewish settler that resulted in the martyrdom of 29 Palestinian worshippers. In the part allocated to Jews lies the prayer room.