Hebron: The Israeli army closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron to Muslim worshippers on Tuesday to allow illegal settlers to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover, a Palestinian official said.

According to Anadolu Agency, Akram al-Tamimi, Director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, confirmed that the mosque will remain closed for two days due to Passover celebrations. He stated that Palestinian worshippers were banned from approaching the site for two days amid tight security conditions.

Tamimi further mentioned that the Israeli army had opened all sections of the mosque to illegal settlers. Passover, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

The Ibrahimi Mosque is situated in the Old City of Hebron in the southern West Bank, an area under Israeli occupation. The city is home to approximately 400 illegal settlers, protected by around 1,500 Israeli soldiers. In 1994, after a massacre by an illegal settler that resulted in the death of 29 Palestinian worshippers, Israel divided the mosque, allocating 63% of its area to Jews, including the prayer room, and 37% to Muslims.

Tensions have been high in the occupied West Bank, where nearly 950 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 others injured since the Gaza war in October 2023, according to Palestinian figures. In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.