The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said Tuesday the Israeli army began removing the canopy in the courtyard of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron, condemning the move as a "new Judaization crime."
In a statement, the ministry said the Israeli action constitutes a "blatant attack" on the mosque and an attempt to alter its Islamic, historical, and cultural features.
It warned that the removal of the canopy is part of a settlement project aimed at imposing a "new Judaization reality" inside the mosque, in violation of international laws and agreements that guarantee the protection of places of worship and archaeological and religious sites.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is "a purely Islamic endowment in its entirety, including its courtyards, arcades, and walls," the ministry said, stressing that Israel "has no right to interfere in its affairs or alter any part of its urban and historical structure."
The ministry considered the Israeli claim of roofing the mosque courtyard part of a policy aimed at imposing "complete control" over the Ibrahimi Mosque, warning of attempts to convert it into a "Jewish synagogue."
It called on the international community, UNESCO, and international human rights organizations to intervene urgently to stop the Israeli move. It also appealed to Palestinians to increase their presence at the Ibrahimi Mosque "to protect and defend it and thwart the occupation's plans to erase its Islamic identity."
In January, Israel announced the transfer of construction licensing powers in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration, in a move seen by Palestinians as part of Israeli judaization efforts in the city.
The Hebron municipality, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, and the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee manage the technical and service aspects of the Ibrahimi Mosque under the 1997 Hebron Agreement.
The mosque is located in the Old City of Hebron, which is under full Israeli control, where around 400 occupiers live under the protection of approximately 1,500 Israeli soldiers.
In 1994, Israel divided the mosque, allocating 63% to Jews and 37% to Muslims, following a massacre carried out by an Israeli occupier that killed 29 Palestinian worshippers.
