Israel Transfers Planning Powers at Hebron Shrine and Nearby Settlement from Palestinian Authority to Israeli Authorities

Israel has transferred planning and construction authority at the Ibrahimi Mosque and Tomb of the Patriarchs shrine in Hebron from the Palestinian Authority to Israeli officials. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich gave final approval late Monday for the change, which also covers the adjacent Jewish settlement.

The 1997 Hebron Agreement had assigned Palestinians control over planning and construction across the entire city, including the shrine.

Smotrich announced the transfer Tuesday during a speech marking the establishment of a new Israeli settlement near Hebron. Smotrich called the decision a historic step that would deepen Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. The security cabinet approved the measure in February as part of a broader package that eases land purchases for settlers and expands Israeli enforcement powers in the territory.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office stated that the seizure constitutes an infringement upon the political and legal status of Hebron and violates international law. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War and disputes international findings that its settlements there are illegal, citing biblical and historical ties as well as security needs.

Hebron has been a recurring site of violence.

In 1994 a Jewish settler killed 29 Muslims praying at the shrine. N. data show settlers have killed 13 Palestinians in 2026. Israel must call an election by the end of October. Smotrich, a settler who favors annexation of the West Bank, has pushed for expanded settlement construction ahead of the vote.