Biblical Tomb of Joseph Set on Fire by Palestinian rioters

Joseph's Tomb which is revered by Jews and Muslims as the burial place of the biblical figure Joseph, son of Jacob has been ransacked and burnt by Palestinian rioters. This site where Jews go to pray, was badly damaged. It came hours after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Palestinian leadership to stop a wave of attacks.

Israel's military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said the attack was "a blatant violation of the basic value of freedom of worship". He said Israel would "bring perpetrators to justice and restore the site". Also, Mahmoud Abbas denounced the attack on the tomb as "illegal", adding that it "offends our culture and our religion and our values". This is not the first time the tomb has come under attack. Palestinians tried to set fire to it again last year and virtually destroyed the site in 2000 after Israeli guards withdrew amid clashes.

Roadblocks have been set up in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, where many of the attackers have come from, and hundreds of extra troops will be deployed on the streets on Sunday. The upsurge began last month when tensions at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem revered by Jews and Muslims boiled over amid rumours Israel planned to relax long-standing rules to increase Jewish rights at the complex. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims.