DaysofPal- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have issued a new order to seize the inner courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque (al-Haram al-Ibrahimi) in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to the site’s director, Mutaz Abu Sneineh.
Abu Sneineh said the order also includes taking control of the mosque’s internal water and electricity systems, in what he described as a violation of international conventions that protect religious and heritage sites.
Acting Mayor of Hebron, Asma al-Sharabati, condemned the move, calling it a “direct threat” to the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The mosque, revered by Muslims and Jews alike, has long been a flashpoint in Hebron, where Israeli settlement expansion and military control have intensified tensions.
Abu Sneineh warned that the latest decision is part of a broader strategy by Israeli occupation to shift from a system of spatial and temporal division inside the mosque to full control. He noted that Israeli measures and restrictions at the site have escalated over the past two years.
He described the developments as an extension of a political agenda aimed at excluding Muslims from the mosque and advancing its Judaization. This includes altering the geographic, demographic, and structural features of the site, installing new infrastructure, and encroaching on the authorities of the Hebron municipality and the Islamic Waqf.
Local officials and heritage advocates say the seizure order represents one of the most dangerous steps in years, warning that it could accelerate efforts to change the character and administration of one of the most sensitive religious sites in the region.
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