Illegal Israeli settlers storm sacred precinct in West Bank

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Clashes erupted in the eastern part of Nablus, a city in the northern West Bank, as Israeli forces facilitated the entry of illegal settlers into the tomb of an Islamic scholar, claimed by the Jews to be the resting place of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) Peace Be Upon Him.

Witnesses said that a large number of Israeli troops entered eastern Nablus to secure the area for the illegal settlers’ raid on the tomb.

They reported that confrontations ensued between dozens of Palestinian residents and the Israeli army, which used live fire and tear gas bombs, leading to the outbreak of two fires.

The soldiers also searched several neighborhoods in eastern Nablus and raided homes before withdrawing, amid intermittent gunfire and explosions, the witnesses added.

The tear gas canisters sparked a fire at an old car parts warehouse near the Tomb and another blaze at the vegetable market in Nablus.

Witnesses said the flames completely consumed the warehouse and partially burned parts of the market. Israeli forces reportedly hindered firefighting crews from reaching the sites.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its teams treated four journalists for tear gas inhalation.

The tomb, situated on the eastern edge of Nablus within Palestinian-controlled territory, is regarded by Jews as a sacred site.

According to Jewish tradition, the tomb houses Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) Peace Be Upon Him, the son of Yaqub (Jacob) Peace Be Upon Him, said to have been brought from Egypt and buried there. However, archaeologists have disputed this claim, asserting that the site is a few centuries old and actually marks the grave of a Muslim cleric named Sheikh Yusuf Dweikat.

In the early hours of Monday, the Israeli army conducted a series of raids across the West Bank, resulting in the arrest of several Palestinians, according to local sources.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied Palestinian territories amid a deadly Israeli offensive that has killed nearly 40,000 people in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

At least 600 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.