TIPH members observing an Israeli military checkpoint in Hebron. 

RAMALLAH, Monday, January 28, 2019 (WAFA) – The decision of the Israeli government not to renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) means that "it has abandoned the implementation of agreements signed under international auspices and its obligations under these agreements, which is rejected and is unacceptable," said presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Monday.

He said, "We call on the countries sponsoring this agreement to take a clear stance from this grave Israeli position and to immediately act to pressure the Israeli government to continue implementation of the agreement as agreed and not to treat Israel as a state above the law."

Abu Rudeineh stressed that "Israel, by its disregard for all signed agreements and its refusal to abide by its obligations, persists in creating an environment for escalation in tension and chaos in the region with unpredictable results."

He concluded by saying: "This is a proof to the international community that Israel does not respect international resolutions and the agreements signed with it under international auspices. It is a continuation of the policy of Israeli escalation against our people and our land."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that Israel has cancelled the mission of TIPH in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, claiming the international observer force was working against Israel.

TIPH was deployed in Hebron following an agreement reached after the massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in February 1994 when Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinians while praying inside the mosque.

The force includes around 60 observers from Norway, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey. Its mandate is renewed every six months. They report to their respective governments.

M.K.