Israel closes Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers to mark Passover

The Israeli army closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron to Muslim worshippers on Tuesday to allow illegal settlers to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover, a Palestinian official said.

“The mosque will remain closed for two days due to Passover celebrations,” Akram al-Tamimi, Director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, told Anadolu.

Tamimi said Palestinian worshippers were banned from approaching the site for two days amid tight security conditions.

“The Israeli army, however, opened all sections of the mosque to illegal settlers,” he added.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

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 high in the occupied West Bank, where nearly 950 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 others injured since the Gaza war in October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.