Palestinians living near al-Sheikh Shaala archeological castle in Nablus have warned of Israeli attempts to hold sway over the area in favor of illegal settlement purposes.
Head of al-Nakoura village council Ahmad Abu Hashish said Israeli soldiers and extremist settlers stormed al-Sheikh Saala fortress originally built by the Byzantines while the Palestinians were carrying out reconstruction and repair works.
Abu Hashish said a park will be built around the site so as to intensify Palestinians’ presence in the area.
The fortress is located between al-Nakoura and Ajensenya villages. It was built hundreds of years ago long before the arrival of the Zionist colonizers.
Originally it had served as a Greek temple. The castle was later repaired and patched up in the Islamic era.
