Israel stops Muslim worship at Ibrahimi Mosque

Sheikh Mutaz Abu Sneina, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, reported that the mosque was closed at dawn without prior notice, however Jews are being allowed into the Muslim holy site. “The occupation forces closed the mosque from 4:00 a.m. without warning, preventing worshippers from entering,” Abu Sneina said.
The Israeli army confirmed the mosque’s closure in a statement on its account on X, . It cited security concerns following a “sabotage operation” late Friday in the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc and Karmei Tzur settlement as the reason for intensified inspections and security checks for Palestinian worshippers. The army added that the mosque was briefly closed “for security reasons” and later reopened under strict security measures.
The raid and mosque closure came just hours after three Israeli officers, including a brigade commander, were injured in a car bomb explosion at the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank. The explosion coincided with an attack in the nearby Karmei Tzur settlement.
Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank amid an ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has claimed more than 40,600 Palestinian lives, mostly women and children, since 7 October last year. According to Palestinian sources, at least 674 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the West Bank during the same period.
The situation continues to escalate, with Israel launching its biggest offensive in the occupied West Bank in twenty years.