Controversy Over the Hebron Agreement – Terminated or Not?

“I have revoked the Hebron Agreement,” Smotrich wrote in a post on X. However, the Israeli Foreign Ministry later responded with a denial: “Contrary to the finance minister’s statement, the Hebron Agreement has not been revoked.”

The so-called Security Cabinet had made a decision several months ago that explicitly referred to responsibilities regarding planning and construction in the Jewish quarter of Hebron, as well as Jewish sites. “This decision was made after years of a complete lack of cooperation on these matters from the Hebron municipal administration,” the statement said. Otherwise, there have been no changes.

Smotrich had written that numerous powers in the divided city of Hebron in the West Bank and at the holy sites there—including the Tombs of the Patriarchs—no longer lie with the Palestinian municipal administration of Hebron, “but would return fully to the responsibility of the State of Israel.” This was a “historic correction.” The “revolution” to legalize Israeli settlements and “deepen Israeli sovereignty” in the West Bank was continuing.

Abbas Warns of “Serious Consequences”

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned of “serious consequences” of the decision. He called on the international community to intervene immediately and urge the Israeli authorities to reverse this “extremely dangerous” decision. The move undermines efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians within the framework of a two-state solution.

The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas called Smotrich’s decision an “unprecedented political and military escalation” aimed at deepening the occupation of the West Bank. In a statement, the organization called on Palestinians to intensify “all forms of resistance” in the fight against the measures. The Israeli organization Peace Now criticized the decision as a “dangerous and irresponsible move by a failed politician.” It stated that in the regional war, the government had “failed on all fronts,” and now “the arsonist Smotrich is trying to set the occupied West Bank ablaze.”

Agreement Regulated the Division of the City

The Hebron Agreement was reached in 1997 under the previous government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also prime minister at the time. Among other things, it provided for the division of the city. Under the agreement, Israel continued to control one-fifth of the city to protect several hundred mostly radical Jewish settlers. According to estimates, a total of around 200,000 Palestinians live in the city. According to tradition, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is located at the site where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah were buried. The site is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The religious site is divided into a synagogue and a mosque. The synagogue is under Israeli administration.

Authority Lies with Israeli Authorities

The Israeli news portal “ynet” reported that for nearly three decades, certain planning and construction measures in the Jewish part of Hebron, as well as at nearby holy sites, required the approval of the Hebron municipal administration or a special political permit. Smotrich’s new decision transfers these powers to Israeli planning authorities.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered, among other areas, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Today, approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live there amid three million Palestinians. The Palestinians claim these territories for their own state, with East Jerusalem as its capital