The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs on Wednesday condemned the illumination of the walls of the Ibrahimi Mosque with the colours of the Israeli flag and Hebrew phrases.

In a statement, the ministry called it "a blatant assault" on the sanctity of the mosque located in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Rights activist Aref Jaber told Anadolu on Tuesday evening that illegal Israeli settlers held an event near the mosque, illuminated its walls with blue lights to celebrate the "anniversary of the occupation of Hebron in 1967,” and played loud music that echoed through the mosque courtyard.

“Israeli measures inside the mosque are invalid and illegal, and are a dangerous attempt to alter its historical features and impose a new Judaisation reality by force of arms,” the ministry said.

The Ibrahimi Mosque has long been subject to tight restrictions and a division of access between Muslims and Jews, with Palestinians calling for preserving its historical and legal status.

Israel divided the site in 1994, allocating 63 percent for Jews and 37 percent for Muslims after a settler attack killed 29 Palestinian worshippers.

The ministry said the mosque is “a purely Islamic endowment in which non-Muslims have no right.”

Israeli authorities prevented the call to prayer at the mosque 91 times in April alone, according to the ministry.

It called on the international community and rights groups to urgently intervene to stop violations against Islamic holy sites.

It also urged Palestinians to “maintain a constant presence” at the mosque in order to preserve its Islamic and Arab identity.

Violence has escalated across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, with at least 1,150 Palestinians killed, about 11,750 injured and nearly 22,000 detained.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.