HEBRON, May 20, 2026 (WAFA) – The Supreme Court of Israel on Wednesday rejected an appeal submitted by the Hebron Municipality, the Hebron Endowments Department, the Old City Rehabilitation Committee, and the Department of Tourism and Antiquities against a decision to seize the roof of the inner courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron, through an expropriation order, which stipulates the confiscation of 288 square meters of the mosque’s designated roof.
The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the decision of the occupation court, which rejected the petition, stating that it effectively legalizes the appropriation and seizure of the airspace of the Ibrahimi Mosque under a plan described as the “roofing project of the inner courtyard,” which it said constitutes a blatant violation of the mosque’s religious, historical, and legal status.
It stressed that the Ibrahimi Mosque, including all its courtyards, halls, and airspace, is an Islamic endowment exclusively for Muslims, with no sovereignty of the occupation over it, adding that administrative, legal, and planning authority rests solely with the Awqaf and the Hebron Municipality under international law.
The Ministry of Awqaf stressed the illegitimacy of the seizure procedures and the removal of powers, expressing its rejection of the enforcement of the military seizure order and all ensuing measures stripping the Hebron Municipality of its planning and building authority in favor of the so-called Israeli sub-planning and licensing committee.
It warned against altering the status quo and damaging archaeological remains, highlighting the catastrophic risks posed by the project, as the occupation seeks to replace the temporary covering with permanent structural construction and modifications that would alter the archaeological and historical character of the site, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The ministry said that Israeli claims that the project will not harm the structure or that it preserves visual integrity are a distortion of reality aimed at erasing the Islamic and Arab identity of Hebron.
It said that the entire judicial process, along with the rejection of the engineering and legal objections submitted by Awqaf experts and petitioners, once again confirms that the occupation’s judicial system serves as a tool in the hands of extremist ministers who have openly declared their intention to strip all authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque and transfer it to Israeli entities.
The ministry called on Palestinians to increase their presence at the Ibrahimi Mosque to foil this colonial plan, urging UNESCO and the international community to urgently and immediately intervene to stop this blatant assault on global religious and human heritage, and to halt the policy of imposing a fait accompli by force.
The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said that Israeli authorities have been gradually escalating measures targeting religious sites, including the transfer of powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque in February 2025 from the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf to the so-called Israeli civil planning authority, followed by a July 20 decision transferring supervisory powers from the Hebron Municipality to the religious council of the Kiryat Arba colonial settlement to manage parts of the mosque and implement structural changes.
It added that these measures, alongside the transfer of supervisory powers from Palestinian authorities to settlement-linked bodies, entrench a policy aimed at undermining Islamic religious authority over the mosque, legitimizing direct colonists’ intervention in its administration, and isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings while linking it administratively and security-wise to settlement councils.
It stressed that these policies clearly violate international humanitarian law and UNESCO resolutions, which classify the Ibrahimi Mosque as a World Heritage site in danger, describing them as a fully-fledged colonial crime.
T.R.
