Israel Begins Work on Hebron's Historical City Hall, Sparking Palestinian Outcry

Israel has commenced construction work on the roof of the historical municipality building in Hebron, a site located within the UNESCO World Heritage List in the occupied West Bank. The Hebron Municipality strongly condemned these actions, describing them as part of ongoing settlement pressure policies aimed at altering the status of the city, its sacred sites, and historical structures. According to the municipality, Israeli-affiliated units began working in the Ayn al-Asker area of the old city, though specific details regarding the nature of the work remain unclear. The municipality asserted that these efforts aim to create a new de facto situation in violation of local and international law. Emphasizing that the old town hall has been closed by Israeli military orders for years, officials labeled it a significant national symbol. They called on international institutions and human rights organizations to intervene immediately to stop what they termed an attack on the city's historical-cultural identity. The municipality also pledged to pursue legal avenues to hold those responsible accountable. Hebron remains divided under the 1997 Hebron Protocol, with the old city under Israeli control, and was added to UNESCO's endangered heritage list in 2017.