Updated

Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 17

Israel Cancels 1997 Hebron Planning Arrangements, Seizing Control of H2 Holy Sites

Updated

Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 17

Israel Cancels 1997 Hebron Planning Arrangements, Seizing Control of H2 Holy Sites

Q: With a key minister claiming US backing, how is Washington responding to the Hebron authority seizure?

There is no clear public indication in the available reporting that Washington has formally endorsed the Hebron move, despite Bezalel Smotrich’s broader claim that his West Bank policies enjoy “full coordination and full backing” from the current US administration. On the specific seizure of planning and construction powers in Hebron’s H2 area, the material provided shows no direct US government statement confirming support or setting out a response. The Palestinian Authority has urged the United States and the wider international community to intervene immediately, but no official American reaction is cited in the reporting here. What is documented is strong criticism from Peace Now, the Palestinian Authority and Hebron’s mayor, who say the step violates the 1997 Hebron Agreement and advances de facto annexation. Israel’s Foreign Ministry, for its part, has tried to narrow the scope of the decision, saying it applies only to settler areas and Jewish holy sites and does not amount to a full cancellation of the Hebron Agreement. So, based on the available information, Washington’s response remains either undisclosed or unreported. Smotrich may be invoking broader US backing for his settlement agenda, but there is no verified evidence here of a specific US endorsement of the Hebron authority transfer.

3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 17

Monday night's Higher Planning Council decision transferred planning and construction authority in Hebron's Jewish enclave and nearby holy sites from the Palestinian-run municipality to Israeli bodies.
The change ends arrangements dating to the 1997 Hebron Protocol, under which some work in H2 and at the Cave of the Patriarchs required municipal approval or exceptional political authorization.
Israeli officials said the enclave will now depend on Israeli authorities and the military for building approvals, infrastructure and some municipal services, including garbage collection.
Bezalel Smotrich cast the move as ending an Oslo-era clause and deepening Israeli control in the West Bank, while officials linked it to his response to European sanctions over settlement activity and settler violence.
Hebron remains one of the conflict's most sensitive cities: H1 covers about 80% of the city under Palestinian control, while Israel retains security control in H2, where the Jewish enclave and shared holy sites are located.

Sources

Left83%

Center17%

Ynetnews17h ago

Israel Strips Hebron Municipality of Planning Powers in Jewish Enclave

Reuters1d ago

Israel seizes powers over flashpoint West Bank shrine from Palestinians | Reuters

The Times of Israel18h ago

Smotrich says he's 'abolished Hebron agreement,' given Israel more power in flashpoint city | The Times of Israel

8 Sources

Is Israel's seizure of Hebron's planning authority a quiet step towards formal annexation of the West Bank?

With a key minister claiming US backing, how is Washington responding to the Hebron authority seizure?

Why did Israel's sanctioned minister seize power in Hebron while facing a potential ICC arrest warrant?

June 2026: Israel Strips Hebron Municipality of Planning Powers, Escalating West Bank Annexation

Overview

On June 16, 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Israel would take over planning and construction authority in Hebron’s H2 area, ending nearly three decades of Palestinian municipal control established by the 1997 Hebron Agreement. This sudden shift immediately sparked strong condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and Hebron Municipality, who called for international intervention. Human rights advocates warned that the move signals a step toward de facto annexation, with serious consequences for Palestinian rights and the future of the two-state solution. The decision highlights escalating tensions and deepens divisions in the already fragile West Bank.

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