Dozens injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Nablus

By Qais Abu Samra

NABLUS, Palestine (AA) – At least 43 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli army forces during a military raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, according to local medics.

The violence erupted after Israeli forces stormed Nablus city to secure settlers’ access to Joseph’s tomb, eyewitnesses said.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said six were injured by rubber-coated bullets, while over 35 others suffered temporary asphyxiation from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli forces.

The site, which Jews refer to as "Joseph's Tomb", has long been a flashpoint for violence.

Jews believe the site to be the burial place of the biblical patriarch Joseph. Muslims, however, challenge this assertion, saying an Islamic cleric -- Sheikh Yussef Dawiqat -- was buried at the site two centuries ago.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara