Hundreds of Israeli settlers, accompanied by a group of rabbis and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, entered the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to reports from Al Jazeera. The visit sparked immediate criticism from Palestinian factions and heightened tensions in a city already marked by frequent clashes.
Abdul Rahman Shadid, identified as a Hamas official, described the incursion as "a new escalation" and framed it as an assault on Palestinian holy sites and the religious sentiments of Muslims. He asserted that the presence of the settlers and officials inside the mosque represented a direct challenge to the sanctity of the location.
Shadid further accused Israeli authorities of turning Hebron into a "military barracks," alleging that the authorities have imposed increasingly restrictive measures on the city's residents. He linked the settlement activity to a broader pattern of security operations that, in his view, aim to tighten Israeli control over the West Bank.
In response to the incident, the Hamas official called on Palestinians living in the occupied territories to gather at the Ibrahimi Mosque to defend it. He suggested that collective action by the local population would counter the perceived Israeli provocation and reinforce Palestinian resolve.
The call for mobilisation comes amid a series of flashpoints in Hebron, where Israeli settlement expansion and security operations have repeatedly led to confrontations with Palestinian residents. The incident underscores the fragile security situation in the city and the potential for further unrest if tensions are not de‑escalated.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/hamas-calls-mobilisation-after-israeli-settlers-enter-ibrahimi-mosque.