The newspaper said: "This is great news for settlements. In an unprecedented, historic step, a decision has been made to significantly change the status quo at the Cave of Machpelah (the Ibrahimi Mosque)." The newspaper explained that this step entailed "the Israeli Civil Administration withdrawing powers from the Palestinian Hebron Municipality and transferring them to the Religious Council in Kiryat Arba - Hebron."
While the newspaper did not clarify the nature of these powers, it said the move aims to "push forward with implementing structural changes to the site."
This is the first time radical changes have been made to the Ibrahimi Mosque since the 1994 Shamgar Committee's decisions. At that time, the committee recommended dividing the Ibrahimi Mosque into 63% for Jews and 37% for Muslims.
In his first comment on the matter, Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh told Anadolu Agency that the municipality had not been officially notified of any Israeli decision regarding the Ibrahimi Mosque. He explained that "the municipality has no authority over the mosque, and that the authority to manage it lies with the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs."
She stated that the electricity and water services provided by the municipality to the mosque are also provided through the Ministry of Endowments.
According to the newspaper, the Civil Administration has long sought to make fundamental changes to the Ibrahimi Mosque. These changes include, among other things, re-roofing the mosque and constructing a roof for Jacob's Courtyard, where Jews pray 90 percent of the year, the newspaper reported.
On February 26, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs affirmed in a statement that the Ibrahimi Mosque is "purely Muslim endowment property," denouncing Israeli plans to convert it into a synagogue.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is located in the Old City of Hebron, which is under Israeli control. It is home to approximately 400 settlers guarded by approximately 1,500 Israeli soldiers.
The new Israeli Judaization move comes at a time when Tel Aviv, with US support, has been waging a genocidal war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, alongside a bloody and destructive military aggression against the occupied West Bank.
