Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that Israel has seized planning and construction powers for the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, a site revered by Jews and Muslims, from Palestinian authorities. This move effectively scraps key provisions of the 1997 Hebron Agreement that granted Palestinian municipal control over these aspects in the H2 zone of the West Bank city.

Smotrich stated he had "abolished" the parts of the 1997 agreement that gave the Hebron municipal council authority over planning, zoning, and construction. The Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, is a significant religious site in the occupied West Bank, believed to be the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives.

In a speech marking the establishment of a new Israeli settlement near Hebron, Smotrich described the decision as a "historic step" aimed at deepening "Israeli sovereignty" in the West Bank. He approved the transfer of these powers for the religious site and nearby Jewish settlements to Israeli authorities late Monday. This action follows earlier approvals by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet to facilitate settlers' land acquisition and enhance Israeli enforcement powers in the territory.

Observers have voiced concerns, with Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, calling the move "extremely dangerous." Hebron has long been considered the tensest city in the West Bank, and any alteration to existing arrangements in favor of intensifying the Israeli occupation is seen as a significant development.

The 1997 Hebron Agreement was established to manage the complex situation in the city, which has a significant Israeli settler population living amidst a larger Palestinian population, particularly in the Old City where the mosque is located. The agreement aimed to balance security concerns with Palestinian civilian life and governance.

Smotrich, a prominent figure in Israel's far-right politics, has consistently advocated for increased Israeli control and settlement expansion in the West Bank. His stated goal has been to dismantle the notion of Palestinian statehood in the region. The recent escalation in Israeli actions in the West Bank has coincided with a rise in reported settler attacks against Palestinians.

Palestinians view the West Bank as the core of their future independent state, and actions that undermine their control or expand settlements are seen as direct impediments to this aspiration. The seizure of planning powers for a site as significant as the Ibrahimi Mosque is likely to intensify these concerns and further complicate efforts towards a peaceful resolution.

This development raises questions about the future implementation of agreements concerning shared religious sites and the broader implications for Palestinian autonomy and territorial control in the occupied West Bank. The international community is expected to closely monitor the fallout from Smotrich's decision.