01/06/2026 – Union for Justice Foundation
The Union for Justice Foundation stated that the Israeli occupation authorities have, over the past year, issued a series of decisions aimed at fully Judaizing the Ibrahimi Mosque, consolidating control over it, and altering its Islamic character.
The Foundation explained that the first of these dangerous Israeli measures against the mosque took place on 15 July 2025, when the occupation authorities decided to transfer supervisory authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs to the so-called “Religious Council of Kiryat Arba Settlement,” under the supervision of the Israeli Civil Administration. This marked the first such step since the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre of 1994.
The Foundation noted that the occupation authorities followed this decision with another measure issued on 15 September 2025, ordering the seizure of the roof of the inner courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, covering an area of approximately 288 square meters.
Union for Justice added: “On 28 November 2025, the Israeli authorities issued another decision ordering the seizure of the inner courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque. Subsequently, on 18 January, the occupation authorities issued an order banning the Director of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, Moataz Abu Sneineh, and the Head Custodian of the Mosque, Homam Abu Markhiya, from entering the mosque for a period of fifteen days.”
According to monitoring and documentation conducted by Union for Justice, the Israeli army installed an iron gate several days ago at the entrance to Hebron’s Old City adjacent to Osama ibn Munqidh School, which the occupation authorities had previously converted into a religious institute for the training of rabbis. The army also erected a military watchtower on the Old Municipal Building in the city, in a move aimed at tightening restrictions on residents and imposing further limitations on their movement throughout the city.
The occupation authorities also illuminated the walls of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron last week with the Israeli flag and Hebrew slogans, while simultaneously organizing loud celebrations within its courtyards.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is located in the Old City of Hebron and consists of a rectangular structure covering approximately 2,040 square meters. Its architectural design bears similarities to that of Al-Aqsa Mosque, featuring massive surrounding walls constructed from large stone blocks. The site remains a focal point of ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. It is currently divided into two sections: a mosque for Muslims comprising approximately 40 percent of its area, and a synagogue for Jews comprising approximately 60 percent, under stringent security measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is surrounded by 22 Israeli checkpoints, including approximately six major checkpoints that obstruct Muslim worshippers’ access to the site, in addition to the continuous harassment of Palestinian visitors.
Within the compound are several domes covering what historical sources identify as the tombs of the Prophet Abraham and his wife Sarah, as well as his sons Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, and Joseph, and their wives (peace be upon them).
The Union for Justice affirms that the Ibrahimi Mosque is an exclusively Islamic waqf (endowment), and that its legal, administrative, planning, and religious authority lies solely with the Palestinian Awqaf administration and the Hebron Municipality under international law, with no rightful claim for non-Muslims.
The foundation stressed that all occupation practices and Judaization measures inside the mosque and its courtyards are null and void and illegitimate under international law, describing them as attempts to alter the mosque’s historical character and impose a new Judaized reality through the use of force.
The Union for Justice considers all Israeli measures a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva and Hague Conventions, which prohibit occupying authorities from making substantial changes to religious and historical sites under occupation.
The Foundation calls upon UNESCO and the international community to intervene immediately to halt this blatant assault on the world’s religious and cultural heritage and to stop the policy of imposing facts on the ground.
It further emphasizes that these policies clearly violate international humanitarian law and UNESCO resolutions that have recognized the Ibrahimi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in Danger.
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