From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 3, 2025
Freed hostage Agam Berger visits Joseph’s Tomb in Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleFreed hostage Agam Berger visits Joseph’s Tomb in the Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus overnight.
Berger is an IDF surveillance soldier who was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7 and freed in January under the hostage-ceasefire deal.
“I want to say thank you to you, the soldiers. Take care of yourselves, you are truly heroes,” Berger says.
“And don’t forget anyone. They need us, they need our prayers, they need us to be strong for them,” she says, referring to the hostages.
התצפיתנית שורדת השבי אגם ברגר נכנסה הלילה לקבר יוסף: "אני רוצה להגיד לכם, לחיילים ולחיילות תודה. שתשמרו על עצמכם, שאתם באמת גיבורים. ושלא לשכוח אף אחד. הם צריכים אותנו, הם צריכים את התפילות שלנו, הם צריכים אותנו חזקים בשבילם"@HGoldich
צילום: רועי חדי, מועצה אזורית שומרון pic.twitter.com/gUOt5n4ZZU— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 3, 2025
The shrine, regarded by some as the final resting place of the biblical Joseph, is located inside Area A of the West Bank, which is officially under complete Palestinian Authority control, though the Israeli military regularly enters despite Palestinian opposition.
Before the war, busloads of Orthodox Jews visited Joseph’s Tomb under IDF protection on a nearly monthly basis, and the pilgrimages almost always sparked violent clashes with Palestinian locals.
The IDF bars Israeli citizens from entering Palestinian cities without prior authorization and protection, and some criticize the monthly incursions as an unnecessary provocation that additionally places Israeli soldiers at risk. Groups often enter without coordination with the military, frequently resulting in troops needing to be sent in to extract them.
The Times of Israel Community.