Israeli forces restrict Palestinian access to Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque during Jewish holiday

On Friday afternoon, Israeli security forces barred Palestinian worshippers from entering the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City, keeping the site open only for Israeli visitors celebrating a Jewish holiday that commemorates Sarah, the wife of the Prophet Abraham. The closure was reported to last until 10 p.m. on Saturday.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments, both worshippers and mosque staff were prevented from accessing the prayer halls and courtyards, and the call to prayer was suspended. Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh told Al Jazeera that the authorities intended to limit the mosque’s use to Israeli participants during the holiday.

Israeli officials, speaking to The Jerusalem Post, said they expected around 20,000 visitors at the site and deployed hundreds of security personnel. Checkpoints around the Old City were tightened, restricting movement for some residents and limiting their ability to leave or enter their homes.

The Ibrahimi Mosque, also known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, is a shared religious site revered by both Muslims and Jews as the burial place of Abraham and his family. Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israel holds security control over the Old City while the Palestinian municipality retains planning authority, a balance that has been questioned after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a takeover of planning powers in June.

The closure follows a recent 10‑day Israeli siege of Hebron that resulted in hundreds of arrests, 15 home demolitions and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians. Settler activity in the Old City has increased in recent months, with reports of property seizures and new outposts established under Israeli military protection.