Israeli forces have closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in occupied Hebron to Palestinian worshippers as thousands of Israeli settlers gather for a Jewish religious observance.

The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments said worshippers and mosque employees were barred from entering and that the call to prayer had been suspended. The mosque director said Israeli authorities planned to open the prayer halls and courtyards exclusively to Israelis. The closure began on Friday afternoon and is set to last until 10pm on Saturday.

The timing matches an annual Jewish observance linked to Sarah, traditionally believed to be buried at the site with the Prophet Abraham and other family members. Jews know the compound as the Cave of the Patriarchs. Israeli forces said they expected about 20,000 visitors and deployed hundreds of security personnel. Troops tightened checkpoints across Hebron's Old City and restricted some residents from entering or leaving their homes.

Under a 1997 Hebron agreement, Israel held security control of the Old City while the Palestinian municipality kept planning powers. In June, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a takeover of those planning powers, raising fears of a push toward exclusive Jewish use of the site.

The closure comes days after Israeli forces ended a 10 day siege of Hebron that brought hundreds of arrests, 15 home demolitions and the displacement of more than 3,300 Palestinians. Settlers have steadily expanded their presence in the Old City, seizing properties and planting new outposts under military protection. The dual holy site remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the West Bank.