Israel seizes more control in West Bank
Posted on: Jun 18, 2026 00:10 IST | Posted by: Rt
yisrael has moved to trim back the powers of palestinian arab authorities in Hebron, ace of the to the highest degree volatile cities in the occupied West Bank, in a step Palestinians say violates a decades-old agreement and advances annexation.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that Israel has “abolished” parts of the 1997 Hebron Agreement, which gave the Palestinian municipality authority over planning, zoning, and construction in parts of the city under Israeli security control.
“For many years, one of the most absurd clauses of the Oslo Accords remained in place,” Smotrich said, claiming that authority over the Jewish settlement in Hebron and holy sites had depended on what he called the “terrorist municipality of Hebron.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry later sought to contain the fallout, insisting that the Hebron Agreement had not been canceled entirely and that only specific planning and construction powers related to the Jewish community in Hebron had been transferred, citing alleged non-cooperation by the Palestinian municipality.
Palestinian officials have condemned Smotrich’s announcement as a violation of signed agreements and international law, and an attempt at further annexation. Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari called it a “racist decision” aimed at stripping the municipality of its powers.
The very next day after Smotrich’s announcement, Israeli planning authorities approved construction of a new Jewish religious school building in Hebron without consulting the Palestinian municipality.
Palestinian activist Issa Amro, who lives in Hebron, told RT that the step is “another proof that the Israeli government is the main obstacle for peace,” warning that the move would increase violence, instability, and settler attacks on Palestinians.
According to the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians have risen sharply in the West Bank, from around 852 in 2022, to over 1,820 in 2025. Settlers have already killed 13 Palestinians in the region so far this year, according to UN data, in addition to others killed by the Israeli military.
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