NABLUS (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Clashes broke out in Nablus at dawn Friday between dozens of local youths and Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) after dozens of Jewish settlers stormed Joseph’s Tomb under the army protection.
Eyewitnesses affirmed that Israeli buses and cars carrying dozens of Jewish settlers stormed the city, accompanied by large numbers of Israeli military vehicles.
Clashes erupted when the Israeli soldiers randomly fired tear gas bombs and live fire during the raid.
Jewish settlers organize periodic army-protected tours of Joseph’s Tomb, which Palestinian residents contest.
The site has frequently been one of the most violent and heated areas of confrontation in Nablus since settlers began raiding it following the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Both Palestinians and Israelis claim counter narratives about its religious and national significance.
Palestinians believe the shrine is the burial site of Sheikh Youssef Dweikat, a cleric who lived in the nearby Balata neighborhood.
Jewish settlers believe the shrine contains the tomb of the Prophet Joseph a figure revered in both Islamic and Jewish religions.
The site is registered as an Islamic endowment at the Palestinian Authority’s Department of Endowments in the city of Nablus.
