Israel takes control of Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque: What this means

Israel has seized planning and construction powers covering the Ibrahimi Mosque , on the site of a Jewish and Muslim shrine in the occupied West Bank, from Palestinian authorities, scrapping parts of an agreement in place since the 1990s, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday. In a speech announcing the move, Smotrich said he had “abolished” the parts of the 1997 Hebron Agreement that gave the Palestinian municipal council of Hebron control of planning, zoning and construction in the H2 zone of the West Bank city . Observers have described the move as “dangerous”. “Hebron for years has been the tensest city in the West Bank,” Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told Al Jazeera. “Any moves to change the existing arrangements in Hebron in favour of intensifying the Israeli occupation are extremely dangerous.” We break down why this is so significant. Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, stands in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on June 17, 2026 [Ammar Awad/Reuters] What is the Ibrahimi Mosque? All three Abrahamic faiths believe this is where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives are buried inside the Old City of Hebron. Jews and Christians call it the Tomb – or Cave – of the Patriarchs. Muslims who, like Christians, also revere Abraham. …