Israel approved the expansion of a Jewish school for settlers living in the centre of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the West Bank on Wednesday, in a construction push that Palestinians say violates a decades-old agreement.
Israel's finance minister announced the plans a day after saying he had scrapped a deal that gave the Palestinian municipality control over certain planning and construction around Hebron's historic core, home to a flashpoint holy shrine.
Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israeli troops remain deployed in the area but construction has generally required approval from the Palestinian municipality, including around the shrine.
The religious heritage of the city has made it a focal point for Israeli settlers, who are determined to expand the Jewish presence. Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister, said construction of a 1,000-square-metre building for a Jewish school in Hebron's historic core had been approved.
"We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice and to implement practical sovereignty in the settlements," Smotrich, who has said he wants to bury the idea of Palestinian statehood, said in a statement.
Palestinians view the settlements as a primary obstacle to peace, depriving them of land they want for a future state.
Israel rejects this, viewing the territory as disputed and saying a Jewish presence has existed there for thousands of years.
Smotrich's building announcement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approved steps earlier this year to make it easier for settlers to buy land in the West Bank and give Israeli authorities more enforcement powers in the territory.
Palestinian officials said the security cabinet steps amounted to de facto annexation of West Bank land by handing powers long held by the military to Israel's civilian government.
Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist who lives in Hebron, said he feared Israel's dismantling of parts of the Hebron Agreement would leave Palestinian residents of the city without basic services.
He said that move was aimed at making life miserable for Palestinians and forcing them to leave.
"It means ethnic cleansing of Palestinian families from their homes, and more displacement," he said, describing Israel's actions as stealing Palestinian dreams to have a state "and to live without violence, without fear, with peace".
Jewish residents of Hebron welcomed Smotrich's announcement, saying it would remove what they described as the "burden" of a Palestinian municipality that had tempered their expansion.
Smotrich said the planning approvals for the Jewish school building as well as new homes in Jewish settlements would "create facts on the ground" to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
"This is a national move that strengthens our hold on the land," said Smotrich, who since taking office has led the expansion of Israeli settlements across the West Bank.
China and the U.S. have unveiled a broader package of economic cooperation after President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, covering t...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has captured a second U.S. military unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Horm...
The European Union is considering targeted accession roadmaps for Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania, offering clearer reform priorities and ...
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has captured a second U.S. military unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded fresh accusations over alleged militant activity in Afghanistan’s northeastern Nuristan province as tensions between the two neighbours escalate.
Willy Sagnol’s six-year spell as Georgia head coach has ended, closing a historic chapter that saw the country reach its first European Championship and advance to the last 16.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Washington on Monday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Houthi attacks increase pressure on Riyadh and threaten Red Sea shipping.
Over the past few years, Uzbekistan has expanded its startup ecosystem, IT exports and digital infrastructure - all highlighted recently as the country hosted ICTWEEK 2026. The next challenge is turning that growth into a larger part of the economy.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment