Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that he cancelled the three-decade-old Hebron agreement with the Palestinian Authority, only to be contradicted hours later by the Foreign Ministry, which said that is not true.
Smotrich posted on X that numerous powers in the divided West Bank city of Hebron and at its holy sites - including the Cave of the Patriarchs, or Sanctuary of Abraham - would no longer rest with the Palestinian municipal authority of Hebron, "but will return fully to the responsibility of the State of Israel."
However, the Foreign Ministry later issued a denial: "Contrary to the statement by the finance minister, the Hebron Agreement has not been annulled."
The Security Cabinet had taken a decision several months ago that related specifically to planning and construction responsibilities in the Jewish quarter of Hebron and at Jewish sites, the ministry said.
"This decision was taken after years of a complete lack of cooperation on the part of the Hebron municipality in these matters," the statement said. There were no other changes, it added.
Smotrich had spoken of a "historic correction," saying the "revolution" to legalize Israeli settlements and "deepen Israeli sovereignty" in the West Bank was continuing.
Abbas warns of seriousness of move
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned of the seriousness of the move, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
He called on the international community to intervene immediately and press Israeli authorities to reverse the highly dangerous decision, saying the move undermined efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution.
The Palestinian 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 also criticized the decision as "a dangerous and irresponsible step by a failed politician."
The government had "failed on all fronts" in the regional war, and now "the arsonist Smotrich is trying to set the occupied West Bank on fire," it said.
Agreement settled division of city
The Hebron Agreement was reached in 1997 under a previous government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also prime minister at the time.
It provided for the division of the city, with Israel retaining control over one fifth of it to protect several hundred mostly radical Jewish settlers. An estimated 200,000 Palestinians live in the city.
The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron is traditionally held to be the burial site of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. The site is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is divided into a synagogue and the Ibrahimi Mosque, with the synagogue under Israeli administration.
Powers are transferred to Israeli authorities
The Israeli news site Ynet reported that for nearly three decades, certain planning and construction measures in the Jewish quarter of Hebron and at nearby holy sites had required the approval of the Hebron municipal authority or special political authorization. Smotrich's new decision transfers those powers to Israeli planning authorities.
Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among other territories, in the Six-Day War of 1967. Some 700,000 Israeli settlers now live there among 3 million Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the territories for a state of their own, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
