Smotrich Says Israel Has Ended Hebron Accord Planning Provisions After Nearly 30 Years

Finance Minister and Defense Ministry minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that Israel has completed the process of canceling the civil planning and construction clauses of the 1997 Hebron Agreement. He made the announcement at the inauguration ceremony for the new settlement of Doran in the southern Hebron Hills.

According to Smotrich, the practical step was approved overnight by the Civil Administration's Higher Planning Council in Judea and Samaria. The move followed a decision by the security cabinet several months ago, which he initiated, and that cabinet approval set the process in motion.

The Hebron Agreement, signed as part of the Oslo framework, divided the city into Palestinian-controlled H1 and Israeli-security-controlled H2. Even in H2, the Palestinian Hebron municipality had retained civilian powers in some areas, including planning permissions, construction, and infrastructure development. Smotrich said the new decision removes that municipal link to the Jewish community in Hebron and to holy sites in the city, especially the Cave of the Patriarchs, and transfers full responsibility to Israeli state authorities.

In his remarks, Smotrich said the change goes beyond bureaucracy. “For many years, one of the most absurd clauses of Oslo remained in place, where powers related to the Jewish community in Hebron and the holy sites depended on the Hebron municipality. Yesterday we put an end to it. This is much more than a planning step, it is a historical correction. We are continuing to strengthen governance and deepen Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” he said.