Occupied Jerusalem, Oct. 23 (SANA) Israeli occupation forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron in the West Bank to worshippers on Friday and forced its staff and custodians affiliated with the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs to leave the premises, according to the Palestinian news agency (Wafa).
The Palestinian Awqaf Ministry condemned the closure and the expulsion of the mosque’s staff in a statement, considering it a violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and the freedom of worship guaranteed by international charters and laws.
A policy of Judaization and control
The ministry affirmed that the closure of the mosque, the prevention of prayer in it and the expulsion of its staff come within the context of a policy of Judaization and restriction aimed at imposing full control over the site, dividing it temporally and spatially, and depriving it of its legitimate Islamic administration.
The ministry stressed that the Ibrahimi Mosque, in all its halls and courtyards, is an exclusively Islamic endowment (waqf), and that the measures and plans targeting it, its staff and its custodians will not change its Islamic and historical identity.
Call for international intervention
The Palestinian Awqaf Ministry warned of the repercussions of repeated violations and attacks on religious personnel and holy sites, calling on the international community and human rights and humanitarian institutions—foremost among them UNESCO—to assume their responsibilities and intervene urgently to pressure the occupation authorities to stop measures targeting Islamic holy sites and halt actions that offend Muslim sentiments.
On Sept. 28, Israeli occupation forces had closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Palestinians for three days under the pretext of securing settler celebrations for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, tightening military measures and closing all checkpoints and electronic gates leading to the mosque.
The mosque is deliberately closed to Muslims for several days each year to facilitate settler incursions and celebrations, part of systematic restrictions on Palestinian access to the site.
According to some reports, Friday’s closure came hours after an armed attack targeted an Israeli occupation military checkpoint at the western entrance to Hebron, injuring six Israeli soldiers, followed by a siege on the city and the start of a wide-scale military operation.
Kh.A / H.H
