Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that Palestinian authorities have been stripped of their role in managing the Cave of the Patriarchs, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
The decision transfers administrative authority over the religious site to an Israeli committee under Smotrich’s control, prompting strong criticism from Palestinian officials.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Smotrich said the holy site would no longer be administered by Hebron’s municipal authorities. “The meaning of this decision is that many authorities previously granted in Hebron and at the holy sites — including the very foundation of our existence, the Cave of the Patriarchs — are no longer under the control of the Hebron Municipality,” he said.
Smotrich made the announcement while attending a ceremony marking the foundation of a new Israeli settlement near Hebron. According to footage released by his party, he described the move as “much more than a planning step, it is a step… of practical sovereignty, of governance”.
Hebron, the largest city in the occupied West Bank, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque is located in the Israeli-controlled H2 sector, where around 40,000 Palestinians live alongside approximately 200 Israeli settler families.
The site holds religious significance for Jews, Muslims and Christians, who believe it to be the burial place of Prophet Abraham and other biblical patriarchs.
Under a 1997 agreement, most management responsibilities for the complex remained with Palestinian authorities. However, Palestinian officials argue that Israel has gradually reduced their role over the years.
Yonatan Mizrahi, co-director of the Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now, said the Higher Planning Council had approved the transfer of responsibilities from Hebron Municipality to Israeli authorities, with meeting records confirming the decision.
The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, strongly condemned the move. “Such unilateral measures are rejected and condemned, and constitute a violation of signed agreements with the Israeli side, as well as a breach of international law,” Abbas’s office said.
Hebron Municipality also denounced the decision, noting that the announcement was made on the day marking the Islamic New Year.
