In a move that signals the accelerating annexation of the occupied West Bank, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich led a massive raid of hundreds of settlers into Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus on Wednesday. Under heavy military escort, Smotrich conducted morning prayers in the heart of the Palestinian-administered city, declaring that the Israeli presence at the site—and across the northern West Bank—must become "permanent."

The incursion, which reportedly included up to 5,000 settlers overnight, involved Israeli forces raiding residential neighborhoods and sealing checkpoints to facilitate the deliberately provocative visit. Smotrich, who also holds the defense portfolio overseeing the West Bank's civil administration, framed the raid as a "historic correction."

Smotrich called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to officially transfer control of the compound to the Israeli government, effectively demanding the formal re-occupation of a site that has been under Palestinian Authority (PA) jurisdiction since the early 2000s.

https://t.me/thecradlemedia/59563