Palestine Decries Vandalization of Ibrahimi Mosque by Israel

Tuesday, 23 June 2026 7:20 PM

The photo shows Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has strongly condemned the latest Israeli actions in the courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil.

These measures constitute a blatant attack on the holy site and form part of a deliberate effort to alter its Islamic and historical character.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry reported that Israeli occupation forces have begun removing the canopy in the mosque courtyard.

It described the move as a “new Judaization crime” and warned that it is part of a broader settlement project aimed at imposing a “new Judaization reality” inside the sacred site.

The ministry further stated that Israel’s claim of roofing the courtyard is merely a pretext for a policy designed to impose complete Zionist control over the Ibrahimi Mosque and eventually convert it into a Jewish synagogue.

It emphasized that these actions represent a direct assault on the mosque and an attempt to erase its Islamic, historical, and cultural identity.

The ministry stressed that the Ibrahimi Mosque is a purely Islamic endowment in its entirety, including its courtyards, arcades, and walls, and that the Zionist entity has no right whatsoever to interfere in its affairs or alter any part of its urban and historical structure.

These violations, it said, breach international laws and agreements that protect places of worship and religious sites.

The ministry called on the international community, UNESCO, and human rights organizations to take urgent action to stop the illegal Israeli measures.

It also urged Palestinians to increase their presence at the Ibrahimi Mosque to protect and defend it and to thwart the occupation’s plans to erase its Islamic identity.

The mosque lies in the Old City of al-Khalil, which remains under full Israeli control. There, approximately 400 Israeli settlers live under the protection of around 1,500 Israeli soldiers.

Settlers raze more land in West Bank as Israel intensifies Judaization drive in Palestinian territories

Israeli settlers raze a historic neighborhood near Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil.

In 1994, following the massacre carried out by an Israeli settler that killed 29 Palestinian worshippers, Israel divided the mosque, allocating 63% to Jewish worshippers and 37% to Muslims.

Until recently, the al-Khalil municipality, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, and the al-Khalil Rehabilitation Committee managed the technical and service aspects of the mosque under a 1997 agreement.

In January, Israel transferred construction licensing powers in al-Khalil from the Palestinian municipality to the so-called Israeli Civil Administration, a clear step in the Zionist regime’s ongoing campaign to Judaize the city.