[]( "The Japan Times") * [Subscribe]( "Subscribe")[Digital]( "Digital Subscribe")[Print]( "Print Subscribe") * [](javascript:void(0); "Login") * [June 29, 2026]( "archive page") []( "The Japan Times") Subscribe [Digital]( "Digital Subscribe")[Print]( "Print Subscribe") * [World Cup]( "World Cup") * [China]( "China") * [Falling yen]( "Falling yen") * [Latest News]( "Latest News") [Today's print edition]( "Today's Print Edition") [Home Delivery]( "HOME DELIVERY") * [JAPAN]( "JAPAN") * [Politics]( "Politics") * [Society]( "Society") * [Crime & Legal]( "Crime & Legal") * [Science & Health]( "Science & Health") * [Explainer]( "Explainer") * [History]( "History") * [WORLD]( "WORLD") * [Politics]( "Politics") * [Crime & Legal]( "Crime & Legal") * [Science & Health]( "Science & Health") * [Society]( "Society") * [ASIA PACIFIC]( "ASIA PACIFIC") * [Politics]( "Politics") * [Crime & Legal]( "Crime & Legal") * [Science & Health]( "Science & Health") * [Society]( "Society") * [BUSINESS]( "BUSINESS") * [Companies]( "Companies") * [Economy]( "Economy") * [Markets]( "Markets") * [Tech]( "Tech") * [SPORTS]( "SPORTS") * [Sumo]( "Sumo") * [Soccer]( "Soccer") * [Baseball]( "Baseball") * [Basketball]( "Basketball") * [Tennis]( "Tennis") * [Olympics]( "Olympics") * [More sports]( "More sports") * [OPINION]( "OPINION") * [Editorials]( "Editorials") * [Commentary]( "Commentary") * [Geoeconomic Briefing]( "Geoeconomic Briefing") * [Environment]( "Environment") * [CLIMATE CHANGE]( "CLIMATE CHANGE") * [Energy]( "Energy") * [SUSTAINABILITY]( "SUSTAINABILITY") * [WILDLIFE]( "WILDLIFE") * [EARTH SCIENCE]( "EARTH SCIENCE") * [LIFE]( "LIFE") * [Travel]( "Travel") * [Digital]( "Digital") * [Food & Drink]( "Food & Drink") * [Style & Design]( "Style & Design") * [Language]( "Language") * [Lifestyle]( "Lifestyle") * [CULTURE]( "CULTURE") * [Film]( "Film") * [Books]( "Books") * [Music]( "Music") * [Art]( "Art") * [TV & Streaming]( "TV & Streaming") * [Stage]( "Stage") * [Entertainment news]( "Entertainment news") * [COMMUNITY]( "COMMUNITY") * [Voices]( "Voices") * [Issues]( "Issues") * [How-tos]( "How-tos") * [Our Lives]( "Our Lives") * [My Account]( "My Account") * [My Bookmarks]( "My Bookmarks") * [Logout](javascript:void(0) "Logout") [Subscribe for more access]( "Subscribe for more access") [WORLD]( "WORLD") # Israelis and Palestinians torn over sacred shrine in city of Hebron []( "Palestinians gather to celebrate the Islamic Hijri New Year at the Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, located inside the Israeli-controlled H2 sector of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on June 16.") Palestinians gather to celebrate the Islamic Hijri New Year at the Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, located inside the Israeli-controlled H2 sector of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on June 16. | AFP-JIJI AFP-JIJI [SHARE/SAVE]( [X]( "X")[Facebook]( "Facebook")[LinkedIn]( "Linkedin")[Reddit]( "Reddit")[Bluesky]( "Bluesky")[Threads]( "Threads")[Email](mailto:?subject=Israelis+and+Palestinians+torn+over+sacred+shrine+in+city+of+Hebron&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.japantimes.co.jp%2Fnews%2F2026%2F06%2F29%2Fworld%2Fisraelis-palestinians-shrine-hebron%2F "Send Article by Email")[Print]( story]( "Bookmark story")[Copy link](javascript:;) Jun 29, 2026 [Video 2](blob: Listen to this article 5 min []( Hebron, Palestinian Territories – For Israeli settler Nitzan, Hebron’s Old City and its sacred Cave of the Patriarchs shrine are a must-see for all of humanity, but for Palestinian Issa Amro, it has become a symbol of Israel’s expanding grip on the city. Holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians and believed to be the burial place of biblical figures including Abraham, the site has long represented the competing claims that define Hebron, the largest city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, the shrine sits within a heavily controlled area where around 40,000 Palestinians live alongside about 200 Israeli settler families — but under separate systems of movement and security. Israeli authorities have installed checkpoints, gates and patrols across key streets in the area, citing security concerns, and Palestinians who do not live in the restricted zone are not allowed to enter freely. Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently announced that the shrine’s administration, including planning and construction powers, would be transferred to Israeli authorities, a significant shift that has alarmed Palestinians but cheered Israeli settlers. “It’s a place that all the humanity should visit to say thanks for Hashem, which is God,” said Nitzan, a resident of the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement. “We kind of visit our parents here,” said the 36-year-old employee of Israeli national parks, declining to give his full name. But for many Palestinians living in its shadow, the site now symbolizes the steady tightening of Israeli control over a city where two communities live in close proximity but inhabit starkly different worlds. “We feel that we live in a big jail in Hebron: The checkpoints restrict movement so nobody from outside can come to our houses,” said Issa Amro, an activist who lives near buildings occupied by settlers. Over time, many Palestinian shops in the Old City have shut, and the once vibrant thoroughfare flanked by old stone buildings now stands empty. Amro showed AFP video of men throwing stones at his home’s windows, saying they were Israelis who told him they had come to take his house. He is often harassed by settlers and Israeli soldiers, he added. ### Historical roots The Oslo Agreements of the 1990s between Israelis and Palestinians divided the West Bank into areas under each group’s respective control. Years later in 1997, Hebron became the territory’s only Palestinian city to have an area under direct Israeli military control, named H2, which includes the Cave of the Patriarchs. The holy site is also separated into an area for Jews and one for Muslims, each with a separate entrance. The plaza leading to the entrance used by Jewish visitors is clean and orderly and, until recently, included a restaurant called the “Settlers’ Cafe.” “Before, any little construction here used to need the prime minister’s involvement,” said Aaron Marwani, a city councilor in Kiryat Arba. “But little by little, the process got easier,” said the 35-year-old lawyer, who has been coming to the Cave of the Patriarchs since childhood. Israeli parks employee Nitzan doesn’t believe coexistence can happen in Hebron and said he favored greater separation. “For me it’s difficult to live with those neighbors. The Palestinians don’t want us here,” he said. Like several Israelis, Nitzan saw the Jewish presence in Hebron as a return to deep historical roots. The city long had a Jewish community, but the British colonial authorities evacuated it after anti-Jewish violence in 1929, in which Arabs killed nearly 70 Jews. Some families returned, only to be evacuated again during the 1936 Palestinian uprising and prevented from returning. More bloodshed occurred in 1994 when Israeli-American settler Baruch Goldstein killed 29 Palestinian Muslims at the site. ### ’Chinatown in Israel’ Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, among some 3 million Palestinians. Those settlements are illegal under international law. In Hebron, some Israeli settler representatives say they want the city under full Israeli control. “We’d like to see the reversal of Oslo and to put this town under Israeli control,” said Ishai Fleischer, an Israeli-American, who serves as a spokesman for the settler community in Hebron. “That doesn’t mean that they can’t have their own Arab mayor and their own Arab culture but it would be like a Chinatown within the broader Israel.” But Palestinians to whom AFP spoke feared being evicted entirely. Moatz Abu Snena, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, said that Smotrich’s decision was part of a wider trend. It is a “gradual takeover of the Ibrahimi Mosque, and also further Judaisation of the place and erasure of its Islamic and religious character,” he said. For Issa Amro, the issue goes beyond the religious site itself. “It means that we live in our own city under military law while the Israelis live under civilian law,” he said. “It’s apartheid, it’s more segregation, more theft, more ethnic cleansing.” ### KEYWORDS [Middle East( "Middle East"), [Israel( "Israel"), [Gaza( "Gaza"), [Israel-Hamas war( "Israel-Hamas war"), [Palestinians( "Palestinians") []( "Palestinians gather to celebrate the Islamic Hijri New Year at the Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, located inside the Israeli-controlled H2 sector of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on June 16.") * []( "X") * []( "Facebook") * []( "Linkedin") In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. [SUBSCRIBE NOW]( ## MORE FROM NEWS [ ### Living without an AI kill switch There is no simple way to shut down advanced AI once it exists, so societies must learn to manage its risks rather than rely on a single fail-safe.]( "Living without an AI kill switch") [ ### Venezuela quake toll tops 900 as search intensifies for hundreds trapped]( "Venezuela quake toll tops 900 as search intensifies for hundreds trapped")[ ### Ukraine’s Crimea attacks expose limits of Putin’s protection]( "Ukraine’s Crimea attacks expose limits of Putin’s protection")[ ### Venezuela quake crisis tests legitimacy of Delcy Rodriguez regime]( "Venezuela quake crisis tests legitimacy of Delcy Rodriguez regime")[ ### Trump’s U-turn on Iran sanctions would unravel decades of curbs]( "Trump’s U-turn on Iran sanctions would unravel decades of curbs") []( BEST OF JAPAN | The Japan Times The Japan Times | [PR]( "THE BEST OF JAPAN | The Japan Times") Undo []( Searches Search for Senior Citizen Car Rental Deals on Yahoo. View top results now.Yahoo | [PR]( Learn more]( "Related Searches") Undo []( Memory Loss Begins When You Can't Say This Word US | [PR]( Learn More]( "MDs: Memory Loss Begins When You Can't Say This Word") Undo []( Experts: Avoid This Drink Like It's Poison. Do You Drink It?US | [PR]( "Memory Experts: Avoid This Drink Like It's Poison. Do You Drink It?") Undo [by Taboola]( Taboola]( []( your knowledge here- | [PR]( "Expand your knowledge here") Undo []( High CD Rates Have People Switching to These Banks (See The List)SavingsPro | [PR]( Get Now]( "Record High CD Rates Have People Switching to These Banks (See The List)") Undo []( for live answering service 24 hours Yahoo Search | Live answering | [PR]( Learn More]( "Search for live answering service 24 hours") Undo With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of [your subscriber account page.]( Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our [FAQ]( * [WHAT’S TRENDING]( "Latest") * [Editors' Picks]( "Latest") [Two tropical storms bring heavy rains to parts of Japan]( "Two tropical storms bring heavy rains to parts of Japan") []( "Two tropical storms bring heavy rains to parts of Japan") [U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived]( "U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived") []( "U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived") [Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit]( "Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit") []( "Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit") [Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes off coast of Iwate]( "Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes off coast of Iwate") []( "Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes off coast of Iwate") [Strong earthquake jolts Yamanashi and Kanagawa amid landslide fears]( "Strong earthquake jolts Yamanashi and Kanagawa amid landslide fears") []( "Strong earthquake jolts Yamanashi and Kanagawa amid landslide fears") [A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas]( "A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas") []( "A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas") [‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global]( "‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global") []( "‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global") [U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived]( "U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived") []( "U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived") [Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu relishes chance to face ‘serious Brazil’ in knockout stage]( "Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu relishes chance to face ‘serious Brazil’ in knockout stage") []( "Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu relishes chance to face ‘serious Brazil’ in knockout stage") [Takaichi’s social media strategy tests old political norms]( "Takaichi’s social media strategy tests old political norms") []( "Takaichi’s social media strategy tests old political norms") ## Our Planet []( "India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air") [India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air]( "India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air") By [Shoaib Mir]( "Shoaib Mir") and [Parthu Venkatesh P]( "Parthu Venkatesh P") ## Podcast []( "Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’") [Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’]( "Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’") ## Longform []( "What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival") [What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival]( "What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival") By [Alex K.T. Martin]( "Alex K.T. Martin") ## SUSTAINABLE JAPAN [TDC Global challenges norms at Japan workplaces]( "TDC Global challenges norms at Japan workplaces") []( "TDC Global challenges norms at Japan workplaces") ## SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS [](javascript:; "Note") Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division. [広告出稿に関するおといあわせはこちらまで]( []( []( []( []( []( []( []( []( [Read more]( ## SUPPLEMENTS BINDER * [Bridges by SMS]( * [Global Insight]( * [GMI Post]( * [GATE21]( * [World Eye Reports]( ## Latest News [Pakistan carries out deadly airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan]( "Pakistan carries out deadly airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan") 24 mins ago [Thai beer dynasty feud casts spotlight on ‘ungrateful child’ law]( "Thai beer dynasty feud casts spotlight on ‘ungrateful child’ law") 26 mins ago [Train derails at Kyoto Station, with no injuries reported]( "Train derails at Kyoto Station, with no injuries reported") 39 mins ago [Japan’s retail sales rise a third month on wage gains, subsidies]( "Japan’s retail sales rise a third month on wage gains, subsidies") 43 mins ago [South Korean president to unveil massive AI and chip investment drive]( "South Korean president to unveil massive AI and chip investment drive") 58 mins ago [SUBSCRIBE]( "Subscribe") ##### In your social network Stay up to date with us on your social media platform of choice. []( "Twitter")[]( "Linkedin")[]( "Instagram")[]( "Facebook") ##### In your inbox Get updates, insights and more via our newsletters. [ SIGN ME UP]( "Sign Up") * products & services * [Print subscriptions]( "Print subscriptions") * [Academic & Business subscriptions]( "Academic & Business subscriptions") * [Student subscription]( "Student subscription") * [JT Digital Archives]( "JT Digital Archives") * [Epaper Edition]( "Epaper Edition") * [RSS feeds]( "RSS feeds") * help & support * [Support]( "Support") * [FAQs]( "FAQs") * [Link policy]( "Link policy") * [Republishing]( "Republishing") * [Contact us]( "Contact us") * about us * [Company info]( "Company info") * [Privacy policy]( "Privacy policy") * [Link policy]( "Link policy") * [Announcements]( "Announcements") * [Work with us]( "Work with us") * [Advertise with us]( "Advertise with us") * [Press releases]( "Press releases") * our sites * [The Japan Times Alpha]( "The Japan Times Alpha") * [JT Bookclub]( "JT Bookclub") * [The Japan Times Jobs]( "The Japan Times Jobs") * [Education In Japan]( "Education In Japan") * [Classifieds]( "Classifieds") * [Public notices]( "Public notices") * [Disaster information]( "Disaster information") * [Comfacts]( "Comfacts") * our activities * [Sustainable Japan]( "Sustainable Japan") * [Destination Restaurants]( "Destination Restaurants") * [Satoyama Consortium]( "Satoyama Consortium") * [ESG Consortium]( "ESG Consortium") [SUBSCRIBE]( "Subscribe") ##### In your social network Stay up to date with us on your social media platform of choice. []( "Twitter")[]( "Linkedin")[]( "Instagram")[]( "Facebook") ##### In your inbox Get updates, insights and more via our newsletters. [ SIGN ME UP]( "Sign Up") []( "The Japan Times") THE JAPAN TIMES LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.