Palestinians Fire on Israeli Officials Visiting Joseph’s Tomb

The shots were fired as Israeli selected officials prepared to leave the holy site. Soldiers returned fire and no Israelis were injured.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Palestinian gunmen fired on Israeli soldiers providing security for a group of Israeli Knesset members visiting Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) on Tuesday night.

The shots were fired as the MKs were preparing to leave the compound. Soldiers returned fire and no Israelis were injured.

The delegation included MKs Boaz Bismuth, Amichai Chikli, Idit Silman and Nissim Vatori of Likud, Almog Cohen and Limor Sohn Har-Meleh of Otzma Yehudit, Yoni Meshariki of Shas, and Ohad Tal of Religious Zionism.

The incoming MKs were invited to visit by the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan. The tomb is the burial site of Joseph, the Biblical son of the Patriarch Jacob.

Ahead of the visit, a Palestinian terror group calling itself the Balata Brigade warned the MKs not to follow through with their visit, saying, “We are ready, and you will see the unthinkable.”

Palestinians frequently set up barricades in Shechem and attack Jews visiting the holy site with gunfire, firebombs and stones.

One Palestinian was killed during the Tuesday night clashes. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades identified him as Mahdi Hashash and said he was a member of their group. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is affiliated with Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party.

Israeli security officials said Hashash was shot while trying to throw an explosive device at soldiers.

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