Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s ongoing interventions at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, warning that the attempts to alter the site's historical and religious status amount to a direct violation of international law and an attack on shared human values.
In a statement released on Thursday, Türkiye rejected Israel’s efforts to usurp the authority of the Palestinian people and called on UNESCO and the broader international community to take urgent action.
The ministry emphasised that the Ibrahimi Mosque, one of the holiest Islamic sites in Palestine, holds not only religious but also profound cultural significance for generations of Palestinians.
Israel’s recent construction of pedestrian corridors, elevators, and other infrastructure—without Palestinian consent and on land seized from local residents—was denounced as a deliberate attempt to change the character of the site and facilitate settler control.
Türkiye also expressed deep concern over reports that Israel may transfer administrative authority of the mosque away from Palestinian institutions to Israeli settler councils.
Continued attacks on Palestinian cultural heritage
This condemnation comes in the context of a broader pattern of destruction and appropriation of Palestinian cultural heritage documented across the occupied Palestinian territories.
In Gaza, Israeli air strikes during the ongoing genocide since late 2023 through early 2024 have severely damaged or destroyed dozens of cultural landmarks.
Among them were the Great Omari Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the region, and Saint Porphyrius Church, one of the world’s oldest Christian places of worship.
Other irreplaceable sites, such as the Pasha Palace and Al Mathaf Museum, were reduced to rubble. The Central Archives of Gaza City, which held historical records spanning more than 150 years, was also obliterated.
UN: War crimes and crimes against humanity
A United Nations investigation released in June 2025 found that Israel’s attacks on religious, educational, and cultural sites may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The inquiry concluded that these strikes often lacked military justification and formed part of a broader pattern aimed at erasing Palestinian identity and heritage.
Türkiye called on UNESCO and other UN agencies to act decisively in defence of Palestinian cultural rights. Turkish officials stressed that these violations are not only an affront to Palestinian heritage but an attack on global human values. They urged the international community to fulfill its responsibility to protect cultural landmarks in conflict zones, particularly when they are deliberately targeted.
“The preservation of cultural and religious sites is not just a regional obligation, but a moral duty shared by all humanity,” the Turkish statement said. “We must not allow heritage to become a casualty of occupation and aggression.”
