The office of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday sharply criticized statements made by Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, who announced that "we have cancelled the Hebron Protocols," and warned of a potential fallout.
The PA backlash followed an announcement made by Smotrich during a ceremony inaugurating a new community in the Hebron Hills. There, he revealed the completion of a move transferring planning and zoning authorities over the Jewish community in Hebron and Jewish heritage sites - including the Cave of the Patriarchs - from the Hebron Municipality to Israeli state jurisdiction.
A statement released by Abbas’s office asserted that "these unilateral steps are unacceptable, deeply deplorable, and run counter to agreements signed with the Israeli side, international legitimacy, and international law, which prohibits altering the status quo in the occupied territories of the State of Palestine."
The statement further claimed that the move undermines diplomatic efforts and the prospects of advancing a political solution between the parties. Officials in Ramallah warned of the decision's ramifications for regional stability and global efforts to promote a future settlement.
The statement called on the international community, particularly the US administration, to intervene immediately and work to rescind the decision. The statement characterized the development as a "dangerous step" that jeopardizes the diplomatic process, the two-state solution, and ongoing efforts to secure regional stability.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry clarified that, contrary to Smotrich's remarks, the Hebron Protocol itself has not been revoked.
The ministry noted that the action was a localized Security Cabinet decision strictly concerning planning and zoning authorities within the Jewish community in Hebron and specific Jewish heritage sites, adding that no broader structural changes to the accord have occurred.