Israeli authorities prevented more than 2,000 Palestinians from enteringHebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque on Thursday to mark the birthday of ProphetMuhammad.
Mosque Director Hefzi Abu Sneineh told Anadolu Agency that authoritiesallowed about 500 Palestinians to enter the mosque.
“More than 2,000 Palestinians were prevented from accessing the mosque in aserious violation of the freedom of worship,” he said.
Hundreds of Palestinians protested at the gates of the mosque, according toan Anadolu Agency correspondent.
The move by Israel comes after the publication of cartoons insultingProphet Muhammad in France that have sparked a wave of anger and protestsacross the Islamic world as well as campaigns to boycott French products.
Revered by Muslims and Jews, the mosque’s complex is believed to hold theburial sites of prophets Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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After the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers inside the mosque byJewish extremist settler Baruch Goldstein, Israel divided the mosquebetween Muslim and Jewish worshippers.
Hebron is home to 160,000 Palestinian Muslims, and about 500 Jewishsettlers who live in a series of Jewish-only enclaves heavily guarded byIsraeli troops. – Anadolu Agency
*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara
