In brief
On March 20, 2020, Israeli troops shut the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Palestinian worshippers as hundreds of settlers descended for a Jewish observance. The move, part of a larger strategy to assert control over the contested site, follows a 1997 peace‑building agreement and a recent Israeli takeover of municipal powers. In a week after a 10‑day security siege, the closure deepens questions about the future of shared holy spaces.
On March 20, 2020, Israeli forces shut the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Palestinian worshippers on the eve of a Jewish holiday, allowing only Israeli settlers to use the courtyard and prayer halls.
Al Jazeera reports that the closure began on Friday afternoon and was scheduled to last until 10 p.m. on Saturday, coinciding with a Jewish observance that celebrates Sarah, the wife of the prophet Abraham, who is believed to be buried in the site.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments said worshippers and mosque employees were barred from entering, and the call to prayer was suspended. The ministry added that Israeli authorities intended to open the mosque’s prayer halls and courtyards exclusively to Israelis.
The Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, is a sacred space for both Muslims and Jews. It is revered as the burial place of the prophet Abraham and his family. Since 1997, the Hebron Agreement has granted Israel security control of the Old City, while Hebron’s Palestinian municipality retains planning and construction authority.
In June, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Israel would assume control of the municipal powers that had been shared under the 1997 agreement, a move that undermined Palestinian oversight and raised fears that the site could be converted for exclusive Jewish use.
According to a statement from The Jerusalem Post, Israeli troops expected roughly 20,000 visitors at the mosque for the Jewish holiday and deployed hundreds of security personnel to manage the influx of settlers. The site, which hosts a market and a dinner hall for the festival, had been closed to the public as settlers converged on the Old City.
The closure came just days after Israeli forces ended a 10‑day siege of Hebron that ended with the arrest of hundreds, the demolition of 15 homes, and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians. The siege was part of a broader security operation aimed at curbing insurgent attacks in the city.
In Hebron’s Old City, Israeli checkpoints were tightened and movement was restricted. Residents reported difficulties leaving their homes, and the police presence was described as “overwhelming.”
Al Jazeera’s coverage highlights growing tensions over control of the site, as the closure has deepened mistrust between Palestinians and Zionists. Many Palestinian observers see the move as an attempt to prioritize settlers’ religious observances over Palestinian rights. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers and Jewish nationalist groups view the ceremony as a legitimate expression of their religious heritage.
International observers have called for a return to shared access, but no concrete agreement has emerged. The dispute over the mosque reflects broader conflicts over holy sites in the occupied West Bank, where questions of sovereignty, security, and religious liberty collide.
