HEBRON, January 12, 2026 (WAFA) – Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek, Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Religious Affairs Mohammad Najm, and Hebron Governor Khaled Dodin denounced the Israeli occupation’s measures targeting the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron.
These measures include stripping Palestinian authorities of their powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque; closing the eastern gate following the installation of an elevator; seizing control over water and electricity systems; preventing the call to prayer; imposing restrictions on the mosque’s custodians; altering its internal and external features; and issuing a decision by the occupation government to revoke Palestinian jurisdiction over the site.
This came during an expanded meeting held in Hebron Governorate, with the participation of the ministers of tourism and antiquities and of awqaf and religious affairs, the Hebron governor, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Saleh Tawafsha, Deputy Minister of Local Government Raed Muqbil, Deputy Mayor of Hebron Asmaa Al-Sharbati, and representatives of official, civil, security, and partner institutions in the governorate.
Governor Dodin affirmed that the occupation’s violations against the Ibrahimi Mosque have not ceased and remain ongoing, gravely affecting the site. He said these actions fall within a systematic policy that includes taking control of parts of the mosque for the benefit of colonists, preventing the call to prayer, imposing severe restrictions on Muslim worshippers’ access, banning restoration and maintenance works, as well as repeated assaults on Awqaf employees and citizens.
Dodin also addressed the occupation’s policy of tightening restrictions by stripping the Hebron Municipality of its planning and construction powers, considering this part of a broader series of violations targeting the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City.
For his part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek stressed the importance of the Ibrahimi Mosque as an integral part of the Palestinian narrative, affirming that the Palestinian people are the rightful owners of the land, stone, and tree. He called for the formation of a permanent committee to coordinate with all partners in efforts to protect the site at the local and international levels.
Al-Hayek emphasized that all Israeli violations and measures will not undermine the Palestinian people’s ownership of this archaeological, historical, and religious site, affirming that such measures are null and void.
He further explained that the Ibrahimi Mosque is inscribed on the World Heritage List, underscoring the need to call on UNESCO and international institutions to take immediate action to safeguard it as a world heritage site at risk.
He underscored the need for the meeting’s recommendations to be translated into concrete, on-the-ground measures that would contribute to safeguarding the site, reiterating the importance of establishing a permanent committee for this purpose.
In turn, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs Mohammad Najm stressed that the Ibrahimi Mosque, as a purely Islamic endowment and a global religious landmark, does not concern the Palestinian people alone, but rather represents an integral part of Islamic identity and human civilizational heritage.
He warned that any infringement or attack against it constitutes terrorism and persecution, calling on Arab and Islamic peoples, as well as religious and human rights institutions, to shoulder their responsibilities and stand against these plans.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Al-Sharbati said that there is a daily, ongoing struggle with the occupation over authorities in the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City, noting that these battles are intertwined at the procedural, technical, and legal levels.
She emphasized the need for all governmental institutions to join efforts in support of the Hebron Municipality to safeguard Palestinian powers at this site.
T.R.
