Local Arabs threw stones at IDF soldiers and lightly wounded two soldiers at the entrance to Joseph’s Tomb near Shechem overnight Monday, where festive prayers were held in honor of Tu Bishvat. The soldiers were evacuated hospital.
About two thousand Jewish visitors participated in the event, which was part of the routine schedule of prayers at the tomb, coordinated monthly by the Samaria Regional Council, the director of Joseph’s Tomb and the holy sites every month, approved and accompanied by the IDF.
During the service, the students of the Ro’eh Yisrael Yeshiva of Rabbi Dudi Dudkevich held a Tu Bishvat tish (celebration meal) and farbrengen (get together), ate the fruits of the Holy Land and sang and danced accompanied by musicians.
Also overnight, an operational activity of the Ephraim Regional Brigade developed into violent friction between local Arabs and IDF soldiers. The Arabs threw Molotov cocktails and stones at the fighters who responded with riot control methods. There were no casualties among the IDF force and no damage was done.
In addition, IDF and Border Police forces as well as the Israel Police arrested 30 wanted persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities and in violent disturbances against civilians and security forces. The suspects were taken for questioning.
In a search of illegal weapons by the IDF and Israel Police in the area of the Menashe Brigade, the forces seized a Carlo submachine gun.