Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday contradicting Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying the Hebron Agreement has not been canceled — contrary to Smotrich's earlier claim. The ministry described the matter as a specific decision, not a revocation of the 1997 accord.
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday afternoon moved to correct the public record after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's earlier remarks implied the cancellation of the Hebron Agreement — the 1997 accord that established the city's division into H1 (Palestinian Authority control) and H2 (Israeli security control). In a tweet, the ministry stated explicitly that the agreement remains in force and that what Smotrich referred to was a specific decision, not a wholesale revocation. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions within the coalition over policy in Judea and Samaria, where right-wing ministers have pushed for expanded Israeli sovereignty. The Hebron Agreement is a cornerstone of the Oslo Accords framework; its formal cancellation would constitute a major diplomatic shift. Smotrich's office has not yet responded to the ministry's clarification.
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