IDF officer among 3 injured in gunfire against Jewish pilgrims at Joseph’s Tomb

Heavy gunfire was aimed at hundreds of Jews praying at the Joseph Tomb shrine outside Nablus on Thursday morning. Three people were injured, including Col. Roy Zweig, Commander of the Samaria Brigade, who led the group’s military escort for the occasion. The soldiers returned the fire while rushing the civilians to safety. Three people suffered minor injuries including Col. Zweig, who was treated in hospital for shrapnel wounds.

“We won’t relinquish Joseph’s Tomb,” said Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan, who was present during the attack. “Only the army can secure the shrine,” he said. Palestinians routinely throw rocks and Molotov cocktails or shoot at the once monthly Jewish pilgrimage to Joseph’s tomb under close security. In April, the site was repaired and renovated under heavy guard after being twice vandalized by Palestinians.

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