During the past two days, a special gathering of Jews took place at the Cave of Machpela in Hevron in honor of the weekly Torah portion of "Hayei Sarah," which speaks of Abraham's acquisition of the Cave as a burial ground for his wife, Sarah.
Within the context of the event, all sections of the Cave were opened to Jews for prayer.
Some 25,000 came to Hevron to pray, while 2,500 participated in a tour of the Jewish neighborhood of Hevron.
IDF forces, aided by border police, the civil administration, and district police secured the events, enabling them to take place securely.