https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/israel-seizes-powers-over-flashpoint-west-bank-shrine-from-palestiniansContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/israel-seizes-powers-over-flashpoint-west-bank-shrine-from-palestinianshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/israel-seizes-powers-over-flashpoint-west-bank-shrine-from-palestinians#u2622Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:37:00 +0000Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the government has taken planning and construction powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, ending Palestinian authority under the 1997 Hebron Agreement. The move follows approval of settler construction in the city without Palestinian consent for the first time in decades. Palestinian officials and Muslim advocacy groups have condemned the action, while the US has warned against further annexation efforts. The shift marks a significant escalation in Israeli control over a flashpoint site shared by Jewish and Muslim