Could Israel’s Hebron planning takeover become a blueprint for annexing the West Bank?

Could Israel’s Hebron planning takeover become a blueprint for annexing the West Bank?

DUBAI: The decision by Israeli authorities to strip Hebron Municipality of its planning and construction powers in parts of the city’s historic center has triggered fresh concerns over the future of the Oslo Accords peace framework and the prospects for Palestinian statehood.

Palestinian officials and analysts warned that the move amounts to another step toward de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, depriving Palestinians of land they claim for a future state.

Last week, Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced that the Higher Planning Council within the Israeli Civil Administration would take over planning, zoning and construction decisions in Hebron’s H2 area, which is home to the Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, and an enclave of Israeli settlers in the heart of the city.

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)3