• Israel seizes control of Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque from Palestinian authorities.
• Hamas describes it as a “blatant assault on the status of the Ibrahimi Mosque and a serious violation within the ongoing series of attacks on Islamic holy sites.”
According to a report by Quds Press yesterday, Israeli occupation authorities have informed the administration of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron that its management has been transferred from the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Endowments to the Israeli Civil Planning Authority. The mosque is located in the southern occupied West Bank.
As part of this decision, construction will resume on the roofing of the area known as the “courtyard” within the mosque. Settlers established a tent in this space 20 years ago, designating it as a place of worship, and have since pushed for a permanent roof to convert it into a dedicated prayer area.
On July 9 last year, Israeli forces began roofing the courtyard but suspended the work two days later following widespread protests in Hebron, including sit-ins and demonstrations.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments has rejected the Israeli decision, reaffirming its authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque.
Hamas condemned the move, describing it as a “blatant assault on the status of the Ibrahimi Mosque and a serious violation within the ongoing series of attacks on Islamic holy sites.”
In a statement issued yesterday, Hamas emphasised that the decision coincides with the 31st anniversary of the the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, which it said reveals “the occupation’s true intentions to continue its Judaisation efforts, divide the mosque, and tighten its control over it.”
In November last year, Knesset member Likud MK Avichai Boaron said that Israel will take “the Tomb of the Patriarchs (the Ibrahimi Mosque) meter by meter, just as we started with one meter.”
“We have a good security minister, a good defense minister and friends abroad. This is our chance. We have two years to do this. The place will not remain stuck in 1967,” he added.
