Hebron: Israeli occupation forces on Monday evening closed a-Shuhada Street in the Old City of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank. The closure prevented Palestinian residents from accessing their homes via the street.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, this closure is another instance of the ongoing restrictions faced by Palestinians in this area. Twenty-six years ago, Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein, hailing from the Kiryat Arba colony, attacked the Ibrahimi Mosque, resulting in the death of 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuries to 125 others. Four Palestinians were also killed in subsequent clashes. This massacre led to further violence, with the Israeli military killing dozens more Palestinians in ensuing protests.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the Ibrahimi Mosque was divided, allocating the majority of the space to Jewish worshippers, with a smaller section reserved for Palestinian Muslims. The Hebron Protocol of 1997 further divided the city into two zones, H1 and H2, placing the mosque in H2 under Israeli military control, while its administration remained with the Islamic waqf and the Hebron Municipality.
Significant changes occurred on December 30, when the Israeli Civil Administration transferred control of the mosque's central courtyard from the Hebron Municipality to the religious council of the Kiryat Arba colony. This marked a significant shift in the mosque's status. On February 8, the Israeli authorities approved changes affecting land registration and civil control, impacting planning and development in Hebron, including the Ibrahimi Mosque.
In 2017, UNESCO recognized the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of Hebron as an endangered World Heritage Site belonging to the State of Palestine. Israel's continued measures in the region are seen as efforts to consolidate its control over the West Bank, which it refers to as 'Judea and Samaria,' a term used to assert historical and religious claims.
These actions by Israel, justified under security pretexts, are viewed as advancing annexation efforts and entrenching the long-standing military occupation of the West Bank, supported by frequent and sometimes deadly violence against Palestinians.
