‘Unprecedented escalation’: Palestinian groups warn against Israeli move to strip al-Khalil of municipal powers

The Palestinian resistance movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad have condemned Israel’s decision to strip al-Khalil of key municipal powers, warning that the move forms part of an escalating effort to tighten Israeli control over the city’s administrative and civic affairs.

In separate statements issued on Tuesday, the two movements responded to a decision by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to cancel key provisions of the Hebron Protocol and transfer a range of administrative authorities in al-Khalil, in the southern occupied West Bank, to Israeli bodies.

The Hebron Protocol, signed in 1997, established a framework governing the division of administrative and security responsibilities between Palestinian and Israeli authorities in designated areas of the city.

Under the latest measures, planning and construction powers previously exercised by the al-Khalil municipality will be transferred to Israeli authorities.

Hamas described the measures as “an unprecedented escalation aimed at entrenching occupation and expanding control” across the occupied West Bank.

The movement stressed that al-Khalil and other Palestinian areas will remain resistant to "Zionization policies" and rejected any attempt to alter the city’s historical or political status.

It called on Palestinians to intensify resistance and expand their response across political, civic, and popular levels in the face of the latest developments.

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Islamic Jihad warned that stripping the municipality of its powers carries “dangerous repercussions” for governance, public services, and daily life under occupation.

The resistance group said the measures effectively remove “all planning and building authorities belonging to the al-Khalil municipality” and consolidate administrative control under Israeli authorities.

It linked the decision to a broader pattern of settlement expansion and displacement policies across the occupied West Bank. The movement called for sustained opposition “by all means,” framing the situation as part of a wider and accelerating effort to reshape the administrative reality of al-Khalil.

Islamic Jihad said the steps represent a breach of “signed agreements and international conventions” governing the city’s status under existing frameworks.

The movement also urged the international community and the United Nations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and intervene to halt “fascist” Israeli policies, which disregard international law and humanitarian norms.

It asked the Arab and Islamic states to assume responsibility amid continued international silence over developments in the occupied territories.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has repeatedly stated that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East al-Quds, have “no legal validity” and constitute a violation of international law, as reaffirmed in UNSC Resolution 2334.

In an advisory opinion delivered on February 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirmed the illegality of all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and east of al-Quds.

UN monitoring reports indicate that settlement expansion accelerated in 2025 and continued into 2026, with thousands of new settler units approved, further deepening the territorial fragmentation of Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.

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