Palestinians carried out the Friday prayer in entrance of the mosque to protest in opposition to an Israeli development plan.
Israeli safety forces used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of Muslim worshippers performing conventional Friday prayers outdoors the Ibrahimi Mosque within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Hebron.
Not less than one particular person could possibly be seen thrown onto the bottom and kicked by Israeli forces. It was not instantly clear what sparked the violence.
Sheikh Hefzy Abu Sneina, director of the mosque, informed Anadolu Company that Palestinians responded to the invitation of the Ministry of Endowments and Spiritual Affairs to carry out prayers on the mosque in defiance of Israel’s plans to go forward with a development plan that will change a few of its options.
On Monday, the Israeli Defence Ministry mentioned it has began a mission on the mosque’s courtyards to construct a route that immediately hyperlinks the parking space to the mosque and set up an electrical raise.
Palestinians see the development as a strategy to take over your entire web site – which is cut up into separate Jewish and Muslim areas – for Jewish guests.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Endowments and Spiritual Affairs introduced the closure of all of the mosques within the metropolis of Hebron and requested the worshippers to carry out the Friday prayers at Ibrahimi Mosque as a “denouncement” of the Israeli occupation.
Abu Sneina mentioned accepting the invitation to carry out the Friday prayers within the mosque “exhibits Muslims’ affiliation with the Ibrahimi Mosque”.
Earlier than the inflow of worshippers to the mosque, the Israeli military added forces at its entrances, spreading iron berms within the courtyard and checking the identities of worshippers and journalists.
A witness informed Anadolu the Israeli forces allowed the worshippers to enter the mosque one after the other, leading to congestion on the pre-existing limitations resulting in the spiritual web site.
Prayers within the mosque are normally topic to strict safety restrictions as worshippers should move a number of limitations and digital gates earlier than reaching the steps resulting in the place of prayer.
The holy web site is revered by Jews and Muslims because the burial web site of spiritual patriarchs. Jews revere the location because the Tomb of the Patriarchs, whereas Muslims name it the Ibrahimi Mosque, after the patriarch Abraham.
The location has been divided into Jewish and Muslim prayer areas since shortly after a settler opened fireplace on Muslim worshippers on the shrine in 1994, killing 29 folks and wounding greater than 100 others.
Hebron is a frequent flashpoint between settlers and Palestinians.
Greater than 200,000 Palestinians stay within the metropolis, together with a number of hundred ultranationalist Israeli settlers who stay within the downtown space in closely fortified enclaves protected by the navy.
Israel captured the West Financial institution within the 1967 Center East conflict and has established dozens of unlawful settlements the place practically 500,000 settlers reside.
The Palestinians need the West Financial institution as a part of their future state and look at the unlawful settlements as a serious impediment to resolving the battle.