Israeli authorities have approved a 1,000 square metre expansion for a Jewish school in the heart of Hebron, a decision Palestinians say violates the 1997 Hebron Agreement. The move followed an announcement by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that he had revoked parts of the arrangement that gave the Palestinian municipality planning authority near the city’s historic core. The site lies close to the Cave of the Patriarchs, where more than 1,000 Jewish settlers live among tens of thousands of Palestinians under Israeli security control. Palestinian activists warned the change could undermine municipal services and increase pressure on Palestinian residents to leave.
Israel Approves 1,000 sq m Jewish School In Hebron’s Palestinian Core, Drawing Palestinian Alarm
Palestinians wait to enter the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of Patriarchs, in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Israel has approved the expansion of a Jewish school used by settlers in the centre of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a move that Palestinian officials and activists say breaches a long-standing agreement governing the city.
Palestinians wait at an Israeli checkpoint as they head for prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of Patriarchs, in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
The announcement came a day after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had revoked parts of the 1997 Hebron Agreement that had granted the Palestinian municipality limited planning and construction authority around Hebron's historic core, which contains the contested Cave of the Patriarchs.
Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of Patriarchs, stands in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
The enclave around the shrine — venerated by Muslims, Jews and Christians — is home to more than 1,000 Jewish settlers who live amid tens of thousands of Palestinians under full Israeli security control. Under the 1997 agreement, Israeli forces remain deployed in the area but most construction has traditionally required approval from the Palestinian municipality.
A man stands near the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of Patriarchs, in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Project Details: The approved project is a 1,000 square metre building intended for a Jewish school within Hebron’s historic core.
A man sits at a shop in a market near the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of Patriarchs, in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister: "We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice and to implement practical sovereignty in the settlements."
Smotrich, a far-right minister who has publicly opposed Palestinian statehood, framed the approval as part of broader efforts to expand settlement activity and Israeli control in the area.
Issa Amro, Palestinian activist: "It means ethnic cleansing of Palestinian families from their homes, and more displacement."
Palestinian residents and activists warn that scaling back parts of the Hebron Agreement could deprive local authorities of the ability to oversee planning and essential municipal services, potentially making life harder for Palestinians and increasing pressure to leave the city. The decision is likely to heighten tensions in an already volatile area and could have legal and diplomatic ramifications.
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