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Israel greenlights controversial project in Hebron’s mosque

An Israeli project to install an electric elevator in the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron could lead to increased settler control of surrounding area.
A picture taken on June 29, 2017, shows a view of the Cave of the Patriarchs, also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is a holy shrine for Jews and Muslims, in the heart of the divided city of Hebron in the southern West Bank.

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved on June 10 the implementation of a project to install an electric elevator and build a road to facilitate access for settlers with special needs to the Ibrahimi Mosque (the Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron in the southern West Bank. The project entails seizing the lands surrounding the mosque. 

According to the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Gantz instructed the Israeli coordinator of government activities in the occupied territories to issue a building permit for the project and conclude a contract with a contractor to start work and complete the relevant procedures.

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