Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the cancellation of the 1997 Hebron Protocol, transferring planning and construction powers at a shrine in the occupied West Bank from the Palestinian Authority to Israeli authorities. The Palestinian Presidency condemned the move as a violation of international law.
The decision escalates tensions in the West Bank, potentially undermining international efforts for regional security and stability by violating existing agreements and international law.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the cancellation of the 1997 Hebron Protocol, a move that effectively ends Palestinian Authority control over planning and construction powers at a Jewish and Muslim shrine in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich stated he had given the final sign-off late Monday to transfer these powers, affecting the religious site and a nearby Jewish settlement, to Israeli authorities.
Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Palestinians controlled planning and construction in the entire city. The international community does not recognize Israel's right to control the West Bank, which it captured in 1967. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office called the seizure of powers an "infringement upon the political and legal status of Hebron" and a violation of international law.
Smotrich, a settler himself, described the action as a "historic step" to deepen "Israeli sovereignty" in the West Bank. The decision was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet in February as part of measures to increase Israeli enforcement powers in the territory. The move comes amid a rapid expansion of Israeli settlements, which has been accompanied by a rise in violence. Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, a view Israel disputes.