Israel takes control of holy site in Hebron

TT

Published 18.08

 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds up a map showing another settlement project in the West Bank. Archive photo. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/TT

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that the country is taking control of a holy site in Hebron from the Palestinians.

This concerns the Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is located in the occupied West Bank and is known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque. Smotrich writes on Telegram that the site will no longer be administered by the local authority in Hebron.

The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah condemns the decision, which was announced at the same time as the far-right minister participated in the construction of a new Israeli settlement near the city.

Hebron was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs is an important site for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. The surrounding area is home to around 40,000 Palestinians and around 200 Israeli settlers.