13 settlers arrested on way to Joseph's Tomb
IDF, police forces detain for questioning Hilltop Youth members who entered refugee camp in Nablus unauthorized
Attempts to enter Joseph's Tomb continue despite the death of Ben-Yosef Livnat. Some 40 members of the Hilltop Youth entered the Balata refugee camp in Nablus via agricultural Palestinian land after bypassing police and army checkpoints.
The IDF fired lighting bombs and launched a search with police assistance. Thus far, at least 13 settlers have been detained.
The infiltrators are members of the Hebrew Cities group and were accompanied by right-wing activist Baruch Marzel and MK Michael Ben-Ari, who were detained earlier. Several Hilltop Youth members made their way into Palestinian territory through farming lands with soldiers chasing after them.
Meanwhile, some 15 right-wing activists clashed with Border Guard forces near the entrance to Nablus but the soldiers succeeded in driving them away. The activists then dispersed and tried to prevent Palestinian vehicles from entering Nablus. The entrance to the city was reopened.
Settlers on their way to tomb (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
Some settlers have accused the IDF and the Civil Administration of initiating the establishment of the Palestinian checkpoint near Joseph's Tomb in an effort to arrest settlers and thus avoided calling the killing of Ben-Yosef Livnat a "terror attack."
Shomron Settlers Committee chairman Benny Katzover said that Division Commander Nitzan Alon and former Civil Administration chief Mordechai Poli initiated Palestinian police presence in the site.
Border Guard forces near Nablus (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
"They were the ones who gave the Palestinians the responsibility of guarding the holy site in violation of agreements. They are covering for their own failures by calling the murder a shooting incident."
Meanwhile, Meir Bartler, of the Hebrew Cities group said: "Joseph's Tomb is an integral part of the Jewish people. We can't not be there. We shall not break and give in to terror, we shall continue to enter Joseph's Tomb in a coordinated and uncoordinated manner until Israeli presence there is reestablished."
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