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Israel halts visits to Jewish shrine in Nablus indefinitely amid security escalation
 [IsraelTimes] Visits to Joseph’s Tomb regularly spark festivities, as IDF required to raid Paleostinian city to secure visitors; army said holding off on assassinations of West Bank terror chiefsThe Israeli security establishment has reportedly decided to indefinitely halt visits to Joseph’s Tomb located in the Paleostinian city of Nablus due to the heightened security situation in the West Bank. The Kan public broadcaster, which broke the story on Thursday, said that the IDF is seeking to limit its activity in the northern West Bank city more broadly in order to allow the Paleostinian Authority’s security forces more autonomy to operate there. However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... the network cited a senior military official who said that the IDF will continue to enter all Paleostinian cities to carry out operations on an as-needed basis. Joseph’s Tomb is located inside Area A of the West Bank, which is officially under complete PA control, though the Israeli military conducts activities there. The IDF bars Israeli citizens from entering Area A without prior authorization. Joseph’s Tomb is revered by some as the final resting place of the biblical Joseph. Visits to Joseph’s Tomb by Orthodox Israelis take place on a monthly basis, if not more frequently, and almost always spark Nablus, and even more so, neighboring Jenin, have been particular hotspots of violence between the Israeli military and Paleostinian button men in recent months. The two northern West Bank cities have seen near nightly Israeli raids aimed at arresting individuals whom the military says are Paleostinian terror chiefs responsible for a wave of attacks earlier this year that took the lives of 19 people in Israel and the West Bank. The army says many of these fighters are seeking to carry out additional attacks against Israelis. Over 2,000 Paleostinians have been arrested since the beginning of the anti-terror operation in the spring and over 200 Paleostinians have been killed in what has become the deadliest period in the West Bank in years. Most of the dead have been wanted holy warriors who opened fire, or youths who threw Molotov cocktails or stones at soldiers entering their neighborhoods. But several civilians who were not involved in any violence have also died. Related: Joseph’s Tomb: 2022-09-01 Two Palestinians reported killed in separate overnight West Bank clashes Joseph’s Tomb: 2022-08-21 Gunfire hits crowded Israeli bus in West Bank; IDF launches manhunt Joseph’s Tomb: 2022-08-20 Palestinian teen killed as rioters attack Jewish pilgrimage to Joseph’s Tomb Related: Nablus: 2022-09-26 Fiery skirmishes reported in East Jerusalem as Rosh Hashanah starts Nablus: 2022-09-25 IDF says troops opened fire at group of armed Palestinians near Nablus, killing one Nablus: 2022-09-24 Shin Bet nabs Gaza-directed Hamas cell allegedly behind West Bank shooting attacks Posted by: trailing wife 2022-10-01 |
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