[News] Israel Seals Hebron with 106 Iron Gates, Tightens Grip on Ibrahimi Mosque

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-seals-hebron-with-106-iron-gates-tightens-grip-on-ibrahimi-mosque/>
Israel Seals Hebron with 106 Iron Gates, Tightens Grip on Ibrahimi MosqueJuly
1, 2026
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A view of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old City of Hebron, in the occupied
West Bank. (Photo: Hebronrc.ps)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*

Israeli authorities have intensified restrictions in Hebron, sealing roads
and expanding measures that Palestinian officials say target the Ibrahimi
Mosque.

Key Developments

   - Hebron Governor Khaled Dodin said Israel has sealed the governorate
   with 106 iron gates and blocked 16 roads with earth mounds.
   - Palestinian officials accused Israel of seeking full control over the
   Ibrahimi Mosque through new administrative and infrastructure measures.
   - Israeli authorities have prevented the Muslim call to prayer at the
   mosque for the past 10 days, according to the governor.
   - Hebron authorities say more than 20 new settlement outposts have been
   established across the governorate.

Israeli occupation authorities have intensified restrictions across the
occupied West Bank city of Hebron (Al Khalil), sealing the governorate with
dozens of iron gates while taking additional steps that Palestinian
officials say are aimed at asserting full Israeli control over the Ibrahimi
Mosque.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Hebron Governor Khaled Dodin
said Israeli authorities have installed 106 iron gates throughout the
governorate and blocked 16 roads and entrances with earth mounds, further
restricting Palestinian movement.

According to Dodin, the measures are part of a broader policy targeting the
city and its residents through movement restrictions, settlement expansion
and increasing military control.
‘Plan to Seize Control’

Dodin strongly condemned ongoing Israeli construction work on the roof of
the Ibrahimi Mosque, saying the project continued for a second consecutive
day despite Palestinian objections.

He said the works are part of “a plan aimed at imposing a new reality that
would enable Israel to seize control of the site.”

The governor accused Israeli authorities of gradually asserting full
control over the mosque through successive administrative and
infrastructure measures, including taking control of its electricity
systems and water facilities.

“They have also prevented the call to prayer at the mosque for the past 10
days,” Dodin said.

In response, he announced that the Hebron governorate, together with local
institutions, had prepared a plan to strengthen the Palestinian presence
inside the mosque and its courtyards while pursuing international pressure
to halt the Israeli measures.

The latest developments come after Israeli authorities stripped the Hebron
Municipality of responsibilities related to managing and regulating works
at the mosque, transferring those powers to the Kiryat Arba settlement
council.

Palestinian authorities have rejected the decision, saying it violates the
mosque’s historic and legal status.
Growing Restrictions

Located in Hebron’s Old City, which remains under Israeli military control,
the Ibrahimi Mosque occupies one of the most sensitive religious sites in
occupied Palestine.

Approximately 400 Israeli settlers live in the area under the protection of
around 1,500 Israeli soldiers.

Following the 1994 massacre, in which an Israeli Jewish settler killed 29
Palestinian worshippers inside the mosque, the site was divided, allocating
roughly 63 percent for Jewish worship and 37 percent for Muslim worship.

While Muslims were previously granted full access during religious
occasions such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Palestinian officials say
access has become increasingly restricted in recent years.
Settlement Expansion

Dodin said the measures targeting the Ibrahimi Mosque form part of broader
Israeli policies across the governorate, including killings, arrests,
forced displacement, house demolitions, land confiscation and settlement
expansion.

According to the governor, more than 20 new settlement outposts have
recently been established across Hebron.

He also said local authorities have documented 763 attacks by Israeli
settlers against Palestinians throughout the governorate.

The developments come amid an ongoing escalation across the occupied West
Bank.

According to official Palestinian figures cited by Anadolu, Israeli forces
and settlers have killed at least 1,173 Palestinians in the occupied West
Bank since October 8, 2023, while 12,666 others have been injured,
approximately 23,000 arrested and around 33,000 displaced.

*(Anadolu, PC)*
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