Palestinian News Network, PNN, reported from Hebrew radio that about 1500 settlers entered Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus late last night and early this morning, guarded by the Israeli military.
The radio said that settlers performed prayers in the Tomb until the morning before withdrawing escorted by the army.
The radio said that young Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails and stones on the settlers, causing no injuries or damage.
Witnesses said that a large force of the Israeli army was in the area extensively blocking roads between Ramallah and Nablus.
Nablus is Area A under the Oslo Accords, that is, under the total control of the Palestiniann Authority.
See IMEMC Article of 17 May: ‘Jerusalem Rabbinical Court Grants Rabbis Custody over Nablus Tomb, Violates Oslo Status Quo’ for latest developments on control of this Tomb. Essentially a Jerusalem Rabbinical Court handed control over this Tomb to two Rabbis, a judgement that the Israeli Army strongly refuted.
The deputy governor of Nablus, Annan Alatyrh, also rejected this judgement. He stated in an interview with radio network ‘PNN’ on Thursday afternoon that Israel’s occupation policy is to Judaise Palestinian heritage, Islamic civilization and places of historic Palestine. As such, he was not surprised at Israel’s attempt through its military power to control access to Joseph’s Tomb, which is actually subject to full Palestinian control.”
He added that this area is under the sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority in accordance with prior agreements, and they will be defended at all costs.
