Smotrich cancels Hebron Protocol, ending Palestinian control in occupied city

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich canceled the Hebron Protocol, revoking Palestinian control over construction in Hebron's key sites, including the Ibrahimi Mosque. The 1997 agreement, part of the Oslo Accords, divided the city into zones under Palestinian and Israeli authority, but Smotrich's move transfers planning and construction jurisdiction to Israeli state control.