As the Jewish holiday of Passover entered its third day, Israeli colonial settlers stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron under the protection of occupation forces, while Palestinian worshippers were barred from entering the site. The closure — enforced by the Israeli army — is set to last until Wednesday evening, effectively denying Palestinians their right to worship in one of Islam’s most sacred sites in the occupied West Bank.

Jamal Abu Araf, Director of Hebron’s Endowments, confirmed that the mosque’s gates, courtyards, and prayer halls were sealed off late Monday night, a routine closure imposed under the pretext of Jewish holidays. Each year, the Israeli occupation fully shuts down the mosque for ten days, reinforcing a policy of spatial and temporal division that continues to marginalise Palestinian access.

Local sources report that Israeli authorities persist in placing locks on key religious chambers, including the shrine of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), the incense room, and the muezzin’s chamber — despite these spaces being under the legal custodianship of the Islamic Waqf.

The ongoing restrictions come amid intensified efforts to assert control over the Ibrahimi Mosque. Just last week, Israeli authorities banned the mosque’s director and a staff member from entering the premises for 15 days. During Ramadan, restrictions on worshippers were particularly severe, with access denied even during the most sacred nights of the holy month.

For Palestinians in Hebron, the Ibrahimi Mosque stands as both a place of worship and a symbol of resistance. Yet, year after year, it is turned into a flashpoint of provocation and exclusion — where faith becomes hostage to a policy of domination.