Hamas Condemns Israeli Move to Assume Control of Ibrahimi Mosque
The resistance movement strongly denounced Israel for pursuing a dangerous “Judaization” agenda in the occupied West Bank after the regime stripped the Palestinian municipality of al-Khalil of its planning and construction powers at the mosque.
“The Israeli regime seeks to undermine the mosque’s identity, as well as the Arab and Islamic identity of al-Khalil,” Hamas said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement came a day after the Israeli military seized municipal powers over al-Khalil’s Ibrahimi Mosque from Palestinians in a move widely seen as undermining Islamic administration of the site.
“This is part of Israel’s broader effort to control Palestinian land and holy sites,” the Palestinian resistance group stated.
Hamas also pointed out that Israel’s actions violate UNESCO’s decision to list the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of al-Khalil as part of the world’s endangered heritage sites.
Elsewhere in the statement, Hamas called on the international community, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League, legal institutions, and UN-affiliated agencies, especially UNESCO, to take immediate action to confront Israel’s dangerous control over Islamic and Christian holy sites across the occupied territories.
Al-Khalil Municipality also condemned the Israeli decision, calling it a "serious and illegal violation" and part of a systemic attack on the status quo at the mosque and the powers of Palestinian authorities tasked with its management.
“This is a clear violation of international law and existing agreements,” the municipality said.
In 1994, an armed Israeli settler entered the mosque during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and opened fire on Muslim worshippers, killing 29 people and wounding more than 120.
Following the massacre, control of the site was split between Palestinians and Israelis under a 1997 agreement.
This arrangement led to frequent settler incursions and increased Israeli control over both the mosque and the city of al-Khalil.
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Under the agreement, the Islamic Waqf, a religious trust, and the al-Khalil Municipality managed the mosque, overseeing construction and renovation.
But Israel’s latest move strips them of these powers, raising concerns that Israel is moving closer to taking full control of the mosque.
Critics say this is seen as part of Israel's broader strategy to gradually transfer the mosque’s administration to Israeli hands.
In November, Israeli authorities notified the al-Khalil Municipality of plans to seize the mosque's internal courtyard, posting the decision on its walls.
Since the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza began in 2023, Palestinians have also faced increasing Israeli restrictions and violations at the mosque.
These violations include repeated bans on the call to prayer, closures of entrances to Muslim worshippers, settler incursions, confiscation of keys to rooms and courtyards, invasive searches, and harassment of nearby residents.
Meanwhile, al-Khalil Municipality workers are routinely harassed and blocked by Israeli soldiers when attempting to access the site.
Israel has intensified violations of human rights and religious freedom against Palestinians across the occupied territories since it launched the aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip in October 2023.
Source: Press TV
