Foreign Ministry denies Smotrich's claim of annulling Hebron Agreement

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has publicly contradicted Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement that he had annulled the 1997 Hebron Agreement. Smotrich claimed on X/Twitter that the agreement, which placed planning and construction responsibilities in Hebron under the Hebron Municipality, had been ended.

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Contrary to the Finance Minister’s statement, the Hebron Agreement has not been canceled.

However, the Foreign Ministry stated, "Contrary to the Finance Minister’s statement, the Hebron Agreement has not been canceled." The ministry clarified that the only modification involved legislation adopted by the Security Cabinet several months prior, specifically addressing the planning and construction of Hebron’s Jewish heritage sites and community. This followed a decision by the Civil Administration's Supreme Planning Council to remove planning powers from the Hebron Municipality due to a lack of cooperation.

Smotrich made his announcement during the inauguration of the Doron settlement in the Hebron hills. He described the move as a "historic correction" and part of an initiative to "deepen Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria." He asserted that planning and construction responsibilities had been withdrawn from the Hebron Municipality and returned to the Israeli government.

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For many long years, one of the most absurd clauses of Oslo remained in place, whereby authorities relating to the Jewish settlement in Hebron and to the holy sites were subject to the terrorist municipality of Hebron. Yesterday [Monday] we put an end to that.

The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's office condemned the seizure of powers, labeling it an "infringement upon the political and legal status of Hebron" and a violation of international law. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions surrounding Israeli control and development in the West Bank.

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infringement upon the political and legal status of Hebron