Israeli authorities have decided to shut down the Ibrahimi mosque to Muslims and non-Jewish visitors and only allow Jewish worshipers access to the holy site, located in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Hafzi Abu Sneneh, director of the mosque, said he was informed that the site would be shut down to Muslim worshipers from 10 p.m. Sunday until Tuesday night, official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported. Abu Sneneh added that the Muslim call to prayer will also be banned during the shutdown period.
Humiliation and suffering
The daily suffering of Palestinian on the Israeli checkpoint at the gates of Al Ibrahimi mosque in occupied Hebron pic.twitter.com/GXReUjS5yp— Mustafa (@MustafAbuZir_E) September 29, 2017
Severe restrictions for Palestinians — including denied access to the Ibrahimi Mosque — are typically implemented by the Israeli authorities during Jewish holidays for alleged security purposes. The occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip have also been placed under an 11-day military general closure for the holiday.
Some 800 notoriously aggressive settlers now live under the protection of the Israeli military in the Old City, surrounded by more than 30,000 Palestinians.
(Maan, PC, Social Media)
