Israeli Minister Announces Israel Will Control Hebron's Holy Sites

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared on Tuesday the cancellation of the Hebron Protocol, a move that effectively transfers control of the city's holy sites and planning authority from the Palestinian Authority to Israel. Smotrich announced on social media platform X that the agreement, which previously divided control of Hebron in the West Bank, has been annulled.

"I canceled the Hebron agreement," Smotrich wrote, adding that "the importance of this decision lies in the fact that many powers in Hebron and the holy sites, including the rock of our existence, the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Abraham's Mosque), are no longer in the hands of the terrorist municipality of Hebron, but are returning to the exclusive responsibility of the State of Israel."

The 1997 Hebron Protocol, a continuation of the 1995 Oslo Accords, had Israel withdraw its army from Area H1, comprising about 80% of the city, with Palestinian police handling security. Israel retained security control in Area H2 (the remaining 20%), which includes the Tomb of the Patriarchs, but civilian powers, including planning and construction, were under Palestinian authority.

According to The Times of Israel, Smotrich stated that new legislation enabling Israel to assume these powers was based on a security cabinet decision he presented and approved months prior. The Palestinian Presidency denounced the decision as "unacceptable, condemnable, and contrary to signed agreements, international legitimacy, and international law." Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, also condemned the move as a "political and territorial escalation aimed at perpetuating the occupation and stealing West Bank territories."

Since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the current Israeli coalition government has facilitated the establishment of numerous new settlements and outposts in the West Bank. Smotrich himself announced last month that the International Criminal Court's prosecutor had requested an arrest warrant against him, though it has not been made public.