Israel Expands Jewish School in Hebron Despite Palestinian Protests

Israel has approved the expansion of a Jewish school for settlers in the center of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The announcement came a day after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed the cancellation of an agreement that had granted the Palestinian municipality planning and construction authority in the area surrounding the city's historic center.

At the center of the dispute is the area around the Cave of the Patriarchs, a site sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. More than 1,000 Jewish settlers live in this part of Hebron among tens of thousands of Palestinians, an area under full Israeli security control.

Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israeli forces remained in the area but construction near the shrine generally required the consent of the Palestinian community. The city's religious significance has long made it one of the main centers of settler activity, with Israeli settlers pushing to expand the Jewish presence.

Smotrich announced approval of a 1,000-square-meter building for a Jewish school, saying Israel continues to build settlements and assert sovereignty over these territories. He has also repeatedly declared his opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Palestinian activist Issa Amro warned that the revocation of parts of the Hebron Agreement could deprive Palestinians of basic services, worsen living conditions for local residents and force them to leave their homes.

(Reuters, Max)