Israel transfers control of Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs to Israeli authorities, sparking Palestinian protests

Israel's far‑right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the administration of the Cave of the Patriarchs – a holy shrine in Hebron revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians – will be transferred to Israeli authorities, including planning and construction powers. The site, located in the Old City of Hebron in the Israeli‑occupied West Bank, sits within a heavily controlled zone where roughly 200 Israeli settler families live alongside about 40,000 Palestinians under separate security regimes.

Palestinian activist Issa Amro described the move as another step in Israel's expanding grip on the city, saying residents feel like they live in a "big prison" with checkpoints restricting movement. He showed video of Israelis throwing stones at his home. Israeli settler resident Nitzan, an employee of the national parks service, praised the shrine as a place all humanity should visit and expressed support for greater Israeli control.

The change follows a history of contested governance: the 1997 Oslo‑derived H2 sector placed the site under direct Israeli military control, and the shrine has been divided into separate Jewish and Muslim sections since the 1990s. Past violence includes the 1994 Baruch Goldstein massacre that killed 29 Palestinians. The announcement has heightened tensions, with Palestinian shops closing and the Old City’s commercial life dwindling.