Ofer Neiman 🍉🇺🇦 (@oferneiman.bsky.social)

Israel’s Smotrich leads settler raid into Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank <article data-history-node-id="440243" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israels-smotrich-leads-settler-raid-josephs-tomb-occupied-west-bank" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israels-smotrich-leads-settler-raid-josephs-tomb-occupied-west-bank" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Israel’s Smotrich leads settler raid into Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Hundreds of <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israeli</a> settlers, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, stormed Joseph’s Tomb in the <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/occupation" target="_blank">occupied</a> West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday. </p> <p>Under heavy military guard, Smotrich and the settlers entered the site in the early hours after Israeli troops raided parts of the city and sealed checkpoints to secure the visit.</p> <p>The far-right minister vowed to make the Israeli presence at the site permanent, despite it being located in the heart of a Palestinian city administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA).</p> <p>“Our presence here at Joseph’s Tomb, in broad daylight, is a clear statement: the people of Israel are returning home to all parts of their land,” Smotrich said during the visit, which included morning prayers.</p> <h3>Read more: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israels-smotrich-leads-settler-raid-josephs-tomb-occupied-west-bank">Israel’s Smotrich leads settler raid into Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank</a></h3> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is surrounded by settlers at the end of the resettlement ceremony of Sa-Nur, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on 19 April 2026 (Marco Longari/AFP)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6ec515c2-a9b6-4f33-8bd7-6969f7679a77" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/images-story/000_A8C33DQ%20%281%29.jpg" width="2000" height="1124" alt="Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is surrounded by settlers at the end of the resettlement ceremony of Sa-Nur, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on 19 April 2026 (Marco Longari/AFP)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is surrounded by settlers at the end of the resettlement ceremony of Sa-Nur, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on 19 April 2026 (Marco Longari/AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url("https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png") rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article> https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israels-smotrich-leads-settler-raid-josephs-tomb-occupied-west-bank