A large group of Jewish visitors entered the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Shechem (Nablus) overnight to visit the tomb of the biblical figure Joseph.
The visit was coordinated with the IDF, which secured the area and provided an escort for the visitors.
The roughly 1,000 visitors prayed at Joseph’s Tomb, then returned to Israeli controlled territory. No security incidents were reported during the visit, an IDF spokesperson reported.
Joseph’s Tomb, located at the southern edge of Shechem, was home to the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva prior to the 1993 Oslo Accords which formed the PA. Since the agreement, Jewish access to the holy site has been limited, and must be coordinated with local IDF forces.
Elsewhere in Judea and Samaria overnight, IDF forces working with Border Police, Israel Police, and the Shin Bet internal security agency captured 10 wanted suspects, including 9 terrorists believed to be responsible for attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces.
Two terrorists were captured at the Tapuah Junction near the Jewish town of Kfar Tapuah in Samaria, while another two terrorists were apprehended in the Arab village of Kifl Haris near Ariel.
One suspect was arrested in Deir Qaddis, near the haredi city of Modiin Illit.
The five remaining suspects were captured in Arab villages in the Gush Etzion area south of Jerusalem.
