DayofPal—Israeli forces have banned the call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron for a sixth consecutive day, in the latest escalation targeting Palestinian presence at the holy site.
The Israeli army has also issued orders barring the mosque’s director, Sheikh Mutaz Abu Sneineh, and the head of its custodians, Hammam Abu Murkhiya, from entering the site for 12 days.
The call to prayer, adhan, has been prohibited since Sunday, according to Palestinian sources with the Israeli authorities claim the restrictions are linked to maintenance work as preparations continue to install a roof over the mosque’s central courtyard.
Palestinian officials said prayers are still being held, but worshippers have been prevented from broadcasting the adhan after Israeli soldiers denied the preacher access to the room from which it is traditionally delivered.
The Ibrahimi Mosque has been under divided control since 1994, when Israel partitioned the site following the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers by an American-Israeli settler.
Palestinians say Israeli authorities have since steadily expanded control over the shrine through tighter restrictions on access, expulsions of mosque staff, and administrative changes.
The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the latest measures, describing them as part of an “escalating and systematic policy” aimed at tightening Israeli control over the mosque and undermining its official religious administration.
Local activists say restrictions have intensified significantly since late 2022, with worshippers increasingly denied entry and the call to prayer frequently suspended, particularly on Saturdays and during Jewish holidays.
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