Israel blocks full access to Ibrahimi Mosque for Muslims during Eid al-Fitr

​​​RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL

Israel is refusing to fully open the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the southern West Bank, to Muslim worshippers for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said Saturday.

“The occupation refuses to hand over the Ibrahimi Mosque, with all its halls, courtyards, and sections, for the celebration of blessed Eid al-Fitr,” Awqaf Minister Mohamed Najm said in a statement.

Najm pointed out that it marks the sixth time since the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr that Israeli authorities have refused to open the entire mosque to worshippers, describing it as “a blatant and unprecedented violation of the Ibrahimi Mosque, a provocation to Muslim sentiments, and a disregard for the sanctity of religious rites.”

Najm urged residents of the Hebron Governorate to “attend both the dawn and Eid prayers tomorrow, to affirm our steadfastness and resilience in the face of the occupation's Judaization plans.”

Earlier Saturday, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, announced that Sunday will be the first day of Eid al-Fitr.

The Ibrahimi Mosque is located in the Old City of Hebron in the southern West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation. It is home to around 400 illegal settlers guarded by approximately 1,500 Israeli soldiers.

In 1994, following a massacre by an illegal settler that killed 29 Palestinian worshipers, Israel divided the mosque, allocating 63% of its area to Jews, including the prayer room, and 37% to Muslims.

Tension has been running high across the West Bank, where more than 940 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the Gaza onslaught on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories illegal in July, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.