The West Bank.. Israeli settlers seize a Palestinian home in Hebron.

The municipality of Hebron in the occupied West Bank stated on Wednesday that Israeli settlers seized a Palestinian home in the Old Town on Tuesday evening and held a provocative party.

The municipality added in a statement: "We condemn the actions of groups of settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, seizing the house adjacent to the old municipality building in the heart of the Old Town of Hebron and holding a provocative party in the municipality square."

It pointed out that "this crime is part of a systematic policy to Judaize the Old Town and impose a new reality on the ground by attacking citizens' properties and closing main streets in the Zahida and Shalala areas and others, which constitutes a blatant violation of international laws and norms."

The municipality emphasized that it is proceeding with its legal measures to protect the cultural and historical heritage of the city.

Videos showed settlers holding a provocative party and dancing around the house, while Israeli flags were raised on its walls.

The Old Town of Hebron is under complete Israeli control, inhabited by about 400 settlers, guarded by approximately 1,500 Israeli soldiers.

The city was divided according to the Hebron Agreement on January 17, 1997, between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the occupying state, into areas H1 and H2, granting the occupying state full control over the Old Town and its outskirts.

This comes amidst discussions by the occupying state about annexing the West Bank to its sovereignty and establishing an emirate in Hebron, separating it from the Palestinian Authority.

On Wednesday, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Tel Aviv's intention to annex 82 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank, emphasizing the need to "prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state."

On Friday, the channel "Israel 24" reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would discuss plans to separate the city of Hebron from the influence of the Palestinian National Authority and establish a separate "emirate" ruled by clans, in response to the intention of several Western countries to recognize the State of Palestine.

In preparation for the annexation, the occupying state has intensified its crimes in the West Bank since the beginning of its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip, including demolishing homes, displacing Palestinian citizens, confiscating their lands, and expanding and accelerating settlement construction.

Many Western countries, including France, Britain, and Belgium, have announced their intention to recognize the Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly meetings in September.

Alongside the genocidal war on Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,017 Palestinians and injuries to about 7,000 others, in addition to the arrest of more than 18,500.

With U.S. support, the occupying state has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in 63,746 deaths and 161,245 injuries among Palestinians, most of whom are children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine that has killed 367 Palestinians, including 131 children.

For decades, the occupying state has occupied Palestine and lands in Syria and Lebanon, refusing to withdraw and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the borders prior to the 1967 war.