Hebron: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Tuesday the revocation of Hebron municipality's civil planning and construction powers -- rights enshrined in the 1997 Hebron Agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel.
According to Anadolu Agency, Smotrich, who also serves as a minister within the Defense Ministry, made the announcement during the inauguration of the Doreen illegal settlement on Mount Hebron, Israel's Channel 12 reported. Smotrich stated that the Supreme Planning Council of Judea and Samaria approved resolutions stripping the Palestinian municipality of Hebron of its planning powers in those areas, marking a significant shift in the control of the city.
The move is described as 'the implementation phase of a process that began months ago, with the approval of Israel's Security Cabinet at Smotrich's initiative,' as reported by the channel. Under the Hebron Agreement, signed as part of the Oslo Accords, the city was divided into a Palestinian-controlled sector, H1, and a sector under Israeli security control, H2. Despite Israel's security control over H2, the Palestinian municipality of Hebron retained certain civil powers, including issuing planning and construction permits and developing infrastructure.
The Israeli decision effectively severs the Palestinian municipality's planning jurisdiction, including over the city's holy sites, most notably the Ibrahimi Mosque, and transfers full authority to Israel. Smotrich criticized the previous arrangement, stating that 'for many years, one of the most absurd provisions of the Oslo Accords remained in effect.'
In February, Israel's Security Cabinet approved a package of resolutions aimed at fundamentally reshaping the legal and civil landscape of the occupied West Bank to entrench the Israeli occupation. These resolutions, advanced by Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, included repealing the Jordanian law barring the sale of Palestinian land to Jews in the West Bank and transferring construction licensing powers in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration.
Palestinians argue that these actions pave the way for Israel to formally annex the occupied West Bank, eliminating prospects for an independent Palestinian state, a goal enshrined in multiple UN resolutions. They cite daily systematic violations by Israeli forces and occupiers, including killings, arrests, destruction and demolition of structures and homes, land leveling, forced displacement, and illegal settlement expansion.
The Palestinian Authority denounced the Israeli move as 'a direct assault' on Hebron's political and legal status and bilateral agreements. In a statement, they called it 'a violation of signed agreements with Israel, international legitimacy, and international law,' urging international intervention, particularly from the US, to reverse the decision.
Hebron Mayor Yusuf al-Jabari emphasized that Smotrich's actions are part of a broader effort to 'annul all agreements,' highlighting that the Hebron agreements were signed under international auspices with US participation. He urged for urgent intervention by the international community, calling on the US to fulfill its responsibilities as a co-sponsor of the agreements and prevent any unilateral measures.
Al-Jabari stressed the importance of maintaining local powers in Hebron, warning that any changes could negatively impact municipal services, local governance, and residents' daily lives. He confirmed that the municipality would continue operating and providing services and would intensify outreach to international partners to preserve existing agreements.
In 2017, Palestine inscribed Hebron's Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque on UNESCO's World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger lists.