A Wall Street Journal article published 6 July said five senior clan leaders from Hebron, led by Sheikh Wadee' al-Jaabari and backed by 16 other figures, sent a letter to Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat proposing to break away from the Palestinian Authority and create an "Emirate of Hebron" that would recognise Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and seek membership in the Abraham Accords. The letter pledged “zero tolerance” for terrorism and asked Israel to reciprocate by recognising the proposed emirate as representative of Hebron’s Arab residents. It also suggested launching a joint industrial zone and issuing an initial 1,000 work permits for Hebron labourers, rising to 5,000 if successful. Barkat has reportedly met the signatories more than ten times since February and has forwarded the proposal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the Israeli government has not taken an official position. News of the initiative provoked swift rejection in Hebron. The influential Al-Jaabari clan, local tribal representatives and civil-society activists issued statements saying the signatories do not speak for the city’s 800,000 residents and reaffirming support for an eventual Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Several Palestinian and regional media outlets likewise dismissed the plan as lacking legitimacy. The contrasting reactions highlight deep rifts within Palestinian society and the sensitivity surrounding any moves to expand the U.S.-brokered normalisation framework while the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved.