Cairo: The Arab League Council has issued a call for immediate measures to break the blockade on Gaza and affirmed its unwavering support for Palestinian sovereignty over the Ibrahimi Mosque. The Council has expressed strong opposition to any Israeli attempts to alter the status quo at the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings in Hebron's Old City, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining access and the call to prayer at the site.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Council has declared the Israeli forces responsible for their actions while fully supporting Palestinian control over the mosque, recognizing it as an Islamic endowment managed by the Ministry of Islamic Endowments. It described the Israeli actions as part of a broader strategy to exert control over the site. As part of its resolutions, the Council urged the international community to uphold and enforce its decisions, highlighting UNESCO's 2017 decision to list the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of Hebron as World Heritage in Danger, which it claims is being violated by current developments.
The Arab League Council underscored that Israel, as an occupying power, lacks sovereignty over Palestinian territories and heritage sites. It warned that the Israeli plans to alter the site's character could have severe repercussions for regional stability and religious sanctities. The Council reaffirmed the significance of the 1997 resolutions between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, which ensure the Hebron Municipality's administration of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The Council condemned Israeli practices and settler activities aimed at controlling parts of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, which threaten to impose colonial changes on the area's historical and legal status, restricting Palestinian access. It called on the UN Secretary-General to establish effective protective measures for Palestinian civilians in Hebron and advocated for an urgent UN monitoring mission to evaluate the situation in line with prior World Heritage Committee resolutions.
Furthermore, the Council requested the restoration of the international mission to monitor and document Israeli violations in Hebron, particularly at the Ibrahimi Mosque. It also urged UN Special Rapporteurs on religious freedom and human rights in occupied Palestinian territories to record these violations. The Council instructed Arab League missions and Ambassadors' Councils to communicate this resolution to their respective governments, and it called for the Arab League Secretary-General to facilitate the resolution's implementation and report on progress in the next session of the Arab League Council.