Israel shuts Ibrahimi Mosque, imposes curfew on Palestinians in Hebron
UN, local groups launch ‘We Will Rebuild Gaza’ cleanup campaign
WEST BANK: Israeli forces have maintained a curfew on Palestinians in the Old City of Hebron in the southern West Bank and closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers to allow illegal settlers to mark a Jewish holiday, local activists said.
The army has enforced the curfew since Friday morning across multiple neighborhoods of the old city, Aref Jaber, a member of the non-governmental Hebron Defense Committee and a resident of the area, told a Turkish news agency.
Jaber said Israeli forces shut military checkpoints leading to the old city and barred all entry and exit.
Many Palestinian residents were unable to return to their homes and were forced to stay overnight with relatives elsewhere in Hebron, he added.
The activist said hundreds of illegal settlers entered the old city Friday night and again Saturday morning, marching through its streets in what he described as “provocative” processions under heavy Israeli military guard.
He said the curfew comes amid Israeli attempts to seize full control of the rest of the Ibrahimi Mosque and convert it into a synagogue.
The settler celebration is part of Sara’s Day, a Jewish religious occasion held annually in Hebron to promote the narrative of a historic Jewish presence in the city.
Meanwhile, a large-scale campaign under the slogan “We Will Rebuild Gaza” was launched on Saturday in Gaza City, with the participation of local organizations and United Nations agencies, in an effort to begin cleaning operations and removing mountains of debris left by the Israeli war in the besieged enclave.
Dozens of participants — including UN officials, volunteers, and residents who recently returned from the south of the Strip — took part in the activities in the city centre, according to a UN report. One participant, a woman in a wheelchair, held up a sign reading “We Will Rebuild Gaza” to express her support for the campaign.
Amjad Al-Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGO Network, said the initiative represents “a shared message to the world that the people of Gaza are capable of bringing life back to their city.”
He added that specialised engineering teams working on rubble management have begun seeking solutions to deal with more than 60 million tons of debris resulting from the destruction of homes and infrastructure, noting that “today’s volunteer campaign is only the beginning of a long process until Gaza returns more beautiful than it was.”
Alessandro Marakic, an official with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said, “we are here with the local authorities, civil society organizations, and the Chamber of Commerce to start the cleaning operations. What we are witnessing today is people returning to their city and regaining part of their dignity by restoring order to the streets.”
He added that the programme carries out daily solid-waste collection and is currently preparing plans for the winter season to ensure proper management of water and wastewater.
The campaign included the deployment of machinery and trucks to clear debris from the streets, while dozens of workers and volunteers took part in removing waste and cleaning public areas, as part of broader efforts to restore life to the city after many months of war. Monitoring Desk
