Foreign Ministry Says Hebron Agreement Remains in Force, Rejects Smotrich's Claim

Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a rare formal clarification after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had led to the cancellation of the Hebron Agreement. The ministry said that claim was completely incorrect and that the agreement, signed in the 1990s, has not been canceled and remains in force.

According to the ministry, there has been no broader change in the agreement's status, aside from a narrow step taken several months ago. That move was limited to planning and construction authority relating to the Jewish community in Hebron and to Jewish heritage sites in the area.

The ministry said the cabinet decision was taken because the Hebron municipality had not cooperated on the issue for many years. Beyond that specific response, it said, nothing else has changed in the agreement's standing.