Jewish pilgrims enter Nablus to visit Joseph’s Tomb without coordinating with IDF

Eleven vehicles carrying Jewish pilgrims entered the West Bank city of Nablus overnight to visit Joseph’s Tomb, without prior coordination with the Israel Defense Forces.

At one point, the pilgrims got out of their vehicles and began to sing and dance in the street.

The Walla news site reports Israeli troops rushed to the scene to escort the group out of the Palestinian city.

It is unclear if the group reached the tomb.

At least one gunman opened fire toward the vehicles as they left Nablus, but there were no reports of injuries.

Busloads of Orthodox Jews visit Joseph’s Tomb under IDF protection on a monthly basis, and the pilgrimages almost always spark 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 by the pilgrims as an unnecessary provocation that places Israeli soldiers at risk.

The shrine, regarded by some as the final resting place of the biblical patriarch 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.

כ-10 רכבים, בהם מיניבוסים, של אזרחים ישראלים ניסו להיכנס הלילה למתחם קבר יוסף בשכם ללא אישור. צה"ל חילץ את כלל האזרחים מהמתחם – אין נפגעים@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/d69ioEjfrO

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) March 4, 2024