The city of Hebron is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. According to Islamic tradition, God chose Abraham as his friend - "Khalil al-Rahman" - and Abraham is believed to be buried in the city called "Khalil" in Arabic.

Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi, the "Sanctuary of Abraham" or the "Tomb of the Patriarchs" in Hebronzzz*zs Old City is one of Palestinezzz*zs most important religous and cultural sites, long a place of pilgrimage for all three monotheistic faiths. It is believed in most traditions to be the burial site of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah.

The Hebron municipality is in the process of refurbishing the Old Cityzzz*zs ancient architecture dating to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Throughout the 1800s, Hebron was known for its glass production.

Hebron was the first West Bank town to be settled by Jewish settlers after Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. In 1968, a group of Jews led by Moshe Levinger rented the main hotel in Hebron and refused to leave. Currently, an estimated Jewish families live in the heart of Hebron under heavy guard, surrounded by some 150,000 Palestinians.

In 1997, as part of Palestinian peace accords with Israel, Hebron was divided into two sectors, H1 and H2. Eighty percent of the city (H1 and its 120,000 Palestinians) was placed under Palestinian control, while H2 (and 30,000 Palestinians) where the settlers live remains under full Israeli control.