The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) closed on Thursday the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil to worshipers and visitors for 10 days under the pretext of combating the spread of the coronavirus.
Sheikh Hefzi Abu Sneina the director of the Ibrahimi Mosque told the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) “The occupation’s decision to close the Ibrahimi Mosque will start from nine o’clock this evening for 10 days. Worshipers and visitors will be banned from accessing any part of the holy site.”
Abu Sneina charged that these claims are not valid and that the IOF is denying Muslims access to the Haram.
He stressed that worshipers and visitors are committed to all health measures according to the preventive protocols in place in addition to the fact that the IOF soldiers deployed at the military checkpoints surrounding the Haram have been allowing only 20 worshipers to enter the Haram at one time.
Meanwhile the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the decision. Hussam Abu al-Rub the Undersecretary of the Ministry told Anadolu Agency “This decision is rejected and we will not accept it.”
Abul-Rub added that this decision constitutes an encroachment and interference with the authority of the Palestinian government to supervise religious sites in Palestine.
He indicated that the ministry is following up on everything related to organizing the entry of worshipers and the preventive and precautionary measures related to coronavirus.
Since 1994 the Ibrahimi Mosque which is believed to be built on the tomb of the Prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him has been divided into a special section for Muslims and another for Jews after a Jewish settler killed 29 Muslims while they were performing the dawn prayer on February 25 1994.
The Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of the al-Khalil were listed by the United Nations Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in 2017 on the World Heritage List.
The Mosque is located in an area under full Israeli control but it is managed by the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments.
