The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) decided on Thursday to prevent settlers’ visits to Youssef Tomb area east of Nablus until further notice.
The decision came due to the increasing Palestinian resistance operations against the settlers’ organized raids to the area.
Earlier this month the IOF used for the first time a drone to protect the settler buses while breaking into Youssef Tomb area.
Nearly two weeks ago dozens of settlers escorted by IOF soldiers to Youssef Tomb in the city of Nablus came under fire.
Jewish settlers organize periodic army-protected tours of Youssef Tomb which Palestinian residents contest.
The site has frequently been one of the most violent and heated areas of confrontation in Nablus since settlers began raiding it following the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Both Palestinians and Israelis claim counter narratives about its religious and national significance.
Palestinians believe the shrine is the burial site of Sheikh Youssef Dweikat a cleric who lived in the nearby Balata neighborhood.
Jewish settlers believe the shrine contains the tomb of the Prophet Youssef a figure revered in both Islamic and Jewish religions.
The site is registered as an Islamic endowment at the Palestinian Authority’s Department of Endowments in the city of Nablus.
