Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Palestinians attack biblical figure Joseph's tomb in West Bank

Palestinians attack biblical figure Joseph's tomb in West Bank

The tomb where the biblical figure Joseph is said to be buried has been vandalised by Palestinians amid spiralling tensions with Israel.
The site in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, was attacked in what Israel's prime minister called a "frenzy of destruction".

There has been a spate of Israeli and Palestinian deaths in recent days, including deadly attacks which have caused shock across Israel.

Israel has promised a strong response.

The tomb was vandalised on Saturday night as Israeli forces carried out raids in the West Bank in the wake of a gun attack on a bar in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian on Thursday, which left three Israelis dead and 11 others injured.

Video on social media showed Palestinians striking a large light fitting hanging above the tomb and throwing chunks of rubble. Pictures from the Israeli foreign ministry showed what appeared to be fire damage to the tomb and damage to the stone lid. Fires were also started in adjacent rooms.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig Gen Ran Kochav told Army Radio that the perpetrators were detained by Palestinian security forces, Israel Hayom news site reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Palestinian rioters had "simply vandalised a holy place for us, the Jews" and vowed to catch them.

It comes at a particularly sensitive time, days before the Jewish festival of Passover. The festival marks the exodus of the Jews from ancient Egypt, where according to Jewish tradition Joseph had risen from prisoner to viceroy some generations earlier.

The tomb is revered by Jews, who believe Joseph is buried there. Muslims believe it to be the resting place of either Joseph or an 18th Century Islamic cleric named Sheikh Yousef Dawiqat. It has previously been a flashpoint for violence, having been set alight by Palestinian rioters in 2015 and 2000.

Nablus is under Palestinian security control, so Jewish pilgrims are usually only allowed to visit the tomb in co-ordination with the IDF. On Monday morning, two ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who had reportedly not obtained permission, were shot and wounded while trying to get there. It is not clear who fired the shots.

The attack on the holy site comes amid heightened tensions between Palestinians and Israelis, with mounting deaths on both sides.

A 17-year-old Palestinian wounded in an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday died on Monday, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said. On Saturday, Israel said its forces killed a Palestinian gunman in the same city, home to the attacker who killed three Israelis at the bar in Tel Aviv.

Also on Sunday, two Palestinian women - one of whom was found to be unarmed; the other who stabbed an Israeli policeman - were shot dead in separate incidents in the West Bank. Meanwhile, an Israeli Jewish man was shot dead in Israel after trying to grab a soldier's gun. Police later said he had mental health problems.

A wave of attacks by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in Israel in the past three weeks has left 11 Israelis and two Ukrainians dead. It has been one of the bloodiest periods of its kind for years, putting the country on edge.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×