Israel transferred planning and construction powers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron from Palestinian authorities, scrapping parts of a deal reached in the 1990s, while Israeli officials disputed whether the broader Hebron Agreement was canceled. Palestinians
On a Monday night, Israel’s Higher Planning Council decided to undo parts of the long-standing Hebron arrangement. By Tuesday. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was publicly calling it done—announcing that Israel had “cancelled the Hebron agreements” at the Ibrahimi Mosque. where planning and construction powers had been held by Palestinian authorities.
Standing at an inauguration ceremony for the Doran settlement in the southern Mount Hebron area. Smotrich said: “Yesterday we cancelled the Hebron agreements.” He described the move as scrapping parts of an agreement that has been in place since the 1990s. giving Israel control over planning and construction at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank.
But the wording landed unevenly inside Israel’s own government. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a tweet that. “contrary to the finance minister’s statements. the Hebron Agreement was not canceled.” It added that a cabinet decision made months ago had addressed planning and construction authority in the Jewish settlement and at Jewish heritage sites only. citing what it called a complete lack of cooperation from the Hebron municipality. “Beyond that, no change has occurred,” the ministry said.
For Palestinians, the distinction didn’t soften the blow. The Palestinian Authority condemned Smotrich’s announcement as unlawful. In a statement issued by the office of President Mahmoud Abbas. it said: “Such unilateral measures are unacceptable and constitute a violation of the agreements signed by the Israeli side. as well as international law.” The office called on the international community—and the United States in particular—to intervene immediately to stop “this most dangerous step”.
Hebron Mayor Yusuf al-Jabari framed the dispute less as legal hair-splitting and more as a warning about what happens when existing understandings are rewritten. He said the agreements constitute “a political framework governing Hebron’s administrative, security and service arrangements”. Any unilateral modification outside existing international understandings, he said, amounted to “a serious breach” with far-reaching consequences.
The Ibrahimi Mosque—known to Jewish people as the Tomb of the Patriarchs—is located in Hebron. a city divided by the logic of the 1997 Hebron Agreement. Under that deal. Palestinians controlled planning and construction in the entire city of Hebron. including both the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs and the adjoining Ibrahimi Mosque.
That framework was created through a division of Hebron into two sectors. Israel retained security control over H2, which includes the Jewish settlement and the Ibrahimi Mosque, while civil powers—including planning and construction—remained with the Palestinian municipality.
The mosque has also been a long-running focal point for settlers. The original protocol saw settlers take control of half the site. Years later. the stakes surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque remained international: in 2017. Palestine inscribed Hebron’s Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque on UNESCO’s World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger lists.
Not everyone viewed Tuesday’s move through the same lens. Israeli peace group Peace Now accused Smotrich of using the mosque dispute to score political gains. “After the government promised victory and failed on all fronts. Smotrich the pyromaniac is trying to set the West Bank on fire. ” the group said. “This is a dangerous and irresponsible step of a failed politician who is ready to harm Israel’s interests and security in order to gather a few votes from the extreme right. ” it added.
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, said the latest decision fits a broader pattern. Palestinians say it is “the latest in a series of steps towards Israel’s de facto annexation of the West Bank.”
Ibrahimi Mosque Hebron Agreement Bezalel Smotrich Yusuf al-Jabari Mahmoud Abbas West Bank Higher Planning Council Doran settlement H2 UNESCO