'Israeli' army imposes curfew in Hebron, launches wide-scale arrests across West Bank

Since Tuesday morning, the 'Israeli'  army has imposed a curfew in several Palestinian neighborhoods in central Hebron in the southern West Bank, set to continue until next Thursday, citing the upcoming Jewish holidays.

Palestinian sources reported that the wide-scale arrest campaign targeted dozens of Palestinians across multiple governorates, including released detainee Hanan Barghouti, who was detained after her home in Kobar, north of Ramallah, was raided.

The campaign also spread to towns and villages in Nablus, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Qatna, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, where 'Israeli' forces carried out searches and raids, converting some homes into military posts.

Sources added that the operations involved the field detention of dozens of residents and harassment of several youths, reflecting an intensified wave of raids across the West Bank ahead of the Jewish holidays.

On Tuesday evening, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned Israel’s decision to close the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to worshippers for three days, citing the same pretext.

Israel is set to begin its Yom Kippur celebrations on Wednesday evening, continuing until Thursday evening. The Ibrahimi Mosque, located in the Old City under full 'Israeli' control, is home to roughly 400 settlers protected by around 1,500 'Israeli' soldiers.

In 1994, 'Israel' divided the mosque, allocating 63 percent to Jews and 37 percent to Muslims, following a massacre by a Jewish settler that killed 29 Palestinian worshippers. The Jewish section includes the muezzin’s room.

According to unilateral 'Israeli' arrangements, the mosque is completely closed to Muslims for 10 days a year during Jewish religious holidays, and fully closed to Jews for 10 days during Islamic religious holidays.