Israel Approves 10,000-Square-Foot Hebron School as Minister Scraps 1997 Planning Deal
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jun 17
Israel Approves 10,000-Square-Foot Hebron School as Minister Scraps 1997 Planning Deal
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 17
Summary
A 10,000-square-foot building for a Jewish school in Hebron’s historic core won Israeli approval on Wednesday, expanding the settler enclave in the occupied West Bank city.
The move followed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s announcement a day earlier that he had scrapped an arrangement giving the Palestinian municipality authority over some planning and construction around the old city shrine.
Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israeli troops stayed deployed in the area, but construction around the Cave of the Patriarchs generally required Palestinian municipal approval.
More than 1,000 Jewish settlers live in the enclave among tens of thousands of Palestinians under full Israeli security control, making the shrine area a persistent flashpoint.
Palestinian activist Issa Amro said dismantling parts of the agreement could strip residents of basic services and accelerate displacement, while Smotrich cast the project as advancing Israeli sovereignty in settlements.
Is expanding a settler school a strategic move to permanently alter Hebron's demographic and political future?
With parts of the Hebron Agreement now voided, are the historic Oslo Accords on the verge of complete collapse?
June 2026 Hebron Power Transfer: Israeli Control, Palestinian Disempowerment, and International Backlash
Overview
On June 17, 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a major policy shift that cancels the long-standing Hebron Agreements and transfers key authorities, including planning and construction, from Palestinian to Israeli control. Smotrich described this as a 'historic step' to deepen Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. This move immediately alters Hebron’s administrative landscape, especially in areas previously managed by Palestinians, and signals a direct withdrawal of the Hebron Municipality’s authority. The decision marks a profound change in governance, intensifying tensions and raising concerns about the future of Palestinian self-rule in the city.