Key facts
- Israel canceled the 1997 Hebron Protocol.
- Planning and construction powers at a Hebron shrine are transferred to Israeli control.
- Palestinian authorities previously held these powers.
- The Palestinian Presidency condemned the move as a violation of international law.
- One of two Israeli banks serving Palestinians will end its financial services.
- This will impact Palestinian access to banking.
- Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon compared settler ideology to Nazism.
- Ya'alon criticized the government for not holding Israelis accountable for killing Palestinians.
- Ya'alon called the situation a 'disgrace for generations.'
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the cancellation of the 1997 Hebron Protocol, a move that transfers planning and construction powers at a shrine in the occupied West Bank from Palestinian authorities to Israeli control. The shrine is revered by both Jews and Muslims. The Palestinian Presidency condemned the decision, labeling it a violation of international law.
In parallel developments affecting the Palestinian population, one of the two Israeli banks currently providing financial services to Palestinians intends to terminate its relationship. This action is expected to impact the accessibility of banking services for Palestinians. Separately, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has drawn a comparison between settler ideology and Nazism. Ya'alon criticized the Israeli government for its alleged failure to hold Israelis accountable for the killing of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, describing the situation as a 'disgrace for generations.'