(CNN) A group of Palestinians set fire overnight to a compound housing Joseph's Tomb -- a religious site in the West Bank venerated by Jews -- sparking condemnations from Palestinian and Israeli authorities. 
 
 The tomb appeared to be unharmed, but the fire marked another downturn in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after weeks of renewed violence, including the stabbings of Israeli civilians and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces. 
 
 Jews consider the site in Nablus the final resting place of Joseph, a high Israelite patriarch and son of Jacob who, according to biblical accounts, was sold into slavery as a boy but then rose to become a powerful figure in ancient Egypt, second only to the pharaoh. 
 
 Jewish devotees at times go to the tomb under Israel Defense Forces escort at night to pray. Christians also consider Joseph's Tomb a holy site. It's been targeted before -- including in 2011 when vandals painted swastikas on its walls. 
 
 According to a Palestinian official, people went to the site early Friday to erect a barricade to thwart Israeli troops from demolishing homes, a key bone of contention in the Mideast. Israeli officials say tearing down homes of terrorists can deter future attacks, while Palestinians see the tactic as unfair collective punishment that hurts innocent women and children. 
 
 At some point, a group tried to set fire to Joseph's Tomb, said the official, who did not want to be named. 
 
 But Palestinian security forces pushed out the crowd and managed to put out the fire. 
 
 Vow to bring perpetrators of 'despicable act to justice' 
 
 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas -- whom Israeli officials have accused of not being vocal enough in condemning attacks on Israeli civilians -- quickly spoke out about the torching of the religious site. 
 
 "These kinds of acts, or any other acts that violate the law and order ... offend our culture, religion and morals," Abbas said, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. 
 
 Abbas ordered a committee to investigate, WAFA reported. 
 
 But such a move may not placate some Israelis. 
 
 David Halvry, a spokesman for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have Israeli troops "retake full responsibility for the holy place." 
 
 IDF spokesman Peter Lerner promised action. 
 
 "The burning and desecration of Joseph's Tomb ... is a blatant violation and contradiction of the basic value of freedom of worship," Lerner said. "The IDF will take all measures to bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice, restore the site to its previous condition and ensure that the freedom of worship returns to Joseph's Tomb." 
 
 #IDF will bring perpetrators to justice, restore the site & ensure that freedom of worship returns to Josephs Tomb pic.twitter.com/33xZoN0KWF — Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) October 16, 2015 
 
 Situation on U.N. Security Council agenda 
 
 The fire follows a spate of recent violence, with both sides trading blame about who is responsible. 
 
 In the past month, eight Israelis died in 30 attacks involving knives and other weapons, with many more being wounded. Some of the worst have been in Jerusalem -- though Israelis have been targeted elsewhere. 
 
 The IDF said Palestinian attackers have wielded knifes against Israeli civilians and authorities, and Israeli security forces have turned their guns on them. Israeli authorities have also fired during Palestinian protests that have turned riotous. 
 
 Five Palestinians were killed Friday in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. 
 
 Also Friday, 269 Palestinians were injured during confrontations with the IDF in the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent told CNN. 
 
 Earlier, Palestinian officials said more than 30 Palestinians have been killed in the past month. More than 1,100 have been injured, mostly in fighting with Israeli forces. 
 
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 The United States -- consistently supportive of the right of Israelis to defend themselves and usually reserved in its criticism -- has expressed concern about Israeli security forces allegedly using live ammunition in the face of rock-throwing Palestinian youths. 
 
 The U.N. Security Council is meeting Friday over the unrest. 
 
 Attacks not believed to be organized 
 
 The recent knife attacks have confounded Israeli authorities. They have spent millions to prevent suicide bombings with high concrete barriers and to stop rockets from Gaza with the Iron Dome anti-missile system. 
 
 But a knife is easy to obtain and carry into a crowd. Israeli authorities so far don't believe the attacks are the result of any campaign of violence organized by militant groups. 
 
 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli security forces and emergency personnel attend to an Israeli victim of a Palestinian stabbing attack in Jerusalem on October 30. A Palestinian stabbed two Israelis in Jerusalem before being shot, police and the army said, in the first knife attack in the city in two weeks. Hide Caption 1 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli police inspect the scene of a stabbing attack in Beit Shemesh, Israel, on Thursday, October 22. Two Palestinian men armed with knives tried to board a bus carrying children but were forced back by people inside the vehicle, police said. The two men were shot by police after they stabbed an Israeli man at a bus stop. Hide Caption 2 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians A police officer injured during an attack at a bus station in Beer Sheva, Israel, is carried from the scene on Sunday, October 18. Ten people were injured and one person, a soldier, was killed, according to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. The attacker -- identified by police as a Bedouin man -- was killed in the shootout on Sunday, but so was an Eritrean migrant who was apparently misidentified by a security guard as a second attacker, police said. Hide Caption 3 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli border police check Palestinians' identification on October 18 at a checkpoint as they exit the Arab neighborhood of Issawiyeh in Jerusalem. Hide Caption 4 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Left-wing activists march on Saturday, October 17, in Jerusalem. About 2,000 participants took part in an Arab-Israeli demonstration for peace. Israeli police and security forces remain on high alert around Israel and the West Bank. Hide Caption 5 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli border police order a Palestinian to lift his shirt at a checkpoint as he exits the Arab neighborhood of Issawiyeh in Jerusalem on October 17. Hide Caption 6 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians An injured Israeli soldier is taken into Hadas hospital on October 17 in Jerusalem after being stabbed in the West Bank city of Hebron. Hide Caption 7 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli medics carry away the body of a Palestinian man who attempted to stab an Israeli soldier in the east Jerusalem Jewish settlement of Armon Hanatsiv, adjacent to the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber, on October 17. Hide Caption 8 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Palestinians carry the body of Iyad Awawdeh, 26, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Dora, near Hebron, on October 17. Awawdeh was killed after he stabbed an Israeli soldier, while posing as a journalist, during clashes Friday. Hide Caption 9 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Palestinian mourners carry the body of Mahmud Homaida, who was killed by the Israeli military the day before, during his funeral in Gaza City. Homaida, 22, was killed near the Nahal Oz border crossing with Israel. Hide Caption 10 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians An Israeli soldier runs to help another who was just stabbed by an alleged Palestinian assailant, seen on the ground holding a knife, during clashes in Hebron, West Bank, on Friday, October 16. In recent weeks, there has been a spike in violence across Israel and the Palestinian territories. Why now? CNN's Ben Wedeman breaks down the issues Hide Caption 11 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to throw stones toward Israeli security forces during clashes in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on October 16. Hide Caption 12 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Palestinians kneel during noon prayers in Jerusalem on October 16. Hide Caption 13 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Two Palestinian women cry Wednesday, October 14, during the funeral of Muataz Ibrahim Zawahra, who was killed in clashes with Israeli troops near Bethlehem. Hide Caption 14 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Palestinian mourners carry Zawahra's body on October 14. Hide Caption 15 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gather around the body of Yeshayahu Kirshavski during his funeral in Jerusalem on Tuesday, October 13. According to the Times of Israel, Kirshavski was killed by a Palestinian in a car-ramming attack. Hide Caption 16 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Kirshavski's funeral continues on October 13. Hide Caption 17 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Medics attend the scene of a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on October 13. Random, unpredictable attacks have stumped Israeli police, CNN's Ben Wedeman reported. Hide Caption 18 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians A member of Israel's security forces cordons off the site in Jerusalem where a Palestinian man drove into a bus stop and carried out a stabbing attack on October 13. Hide Caption 19 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians A member of Israel's security forces stands in front of Palestinian protesters throwing stones during clashes in Bethlehem on October 13. Hide Caption 20 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians An Israeli police vehicle drives in front of Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem on October 13. Hide Caption 21 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Palestinians take part in an anti-Israel protest in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on October 13. Hide Caption 22 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Jewish children pray at the site of a stabbing attack in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday, October 12. Hide Caption 23 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians A Palestinian protester in Bethlehem throws a tear-gas canister back at Israeli security forces on October 12. Hide Caption 24 of 25 Photos: Tensions escalate between Israelis, Palestinians Israeli soldiers aim their weapons toward Palestinian protesters during clashes in Bethlehem on October 12. Hide Caption 25 of 25 
 
 Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, has praised the attacks but not claimed responsibility for them. 
 
 It's often young Palestinians who may be acting out alone or recruited or at least encouraged via social media, Israeli authorities have said. 
 
 Civilians arming themselves 
 
 In this atmosphere of fear, many Israelis are changing the routes of their commutes, and many who have handgun permits are carrying weapons. Others are applying for permits. 
 
 The Israeli government has even called for them to do so. 
 
 "The responsible civilian population -- in the framework of the rule of law -- has a part to play," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Thursday. "We've urged Israelis to be vigilant. ... Having the civilian population work closely with law enforcement is one of the keys in defeating this threat." 
 
 In recent days, Israeli security forces have swiftly shot dead two Palestinian teenagers who attacked with knives. Abbas, the Palestinian President, accused Israel of committing what he called "extrajudicial executions." 
 
 Clashes at holy site 
 
 Palestinian resentments are hardly new, but Israelis and Palestinians have had better relations at times. 
 
 Those have since been buried by the second intifada, in which organized deadly attacks targeted Israelis from 2000 to 2005, and three wars in Gaza that killed thousands of Palestinians. 
 
 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians in Gaza celebrate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday, August 26. After more than seven weeks of heavy fighting, Israel and Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire that puts off dealing with core long-term issues. Hide Caption 1 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians inspect the damage to a residential building following several late night Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on August 26. Hide Caption 2 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Gila, center, mother of 4-year-old Israeli boy Daniel Tragerman, sits next to his grave during his funeral near the Israel-Gaza border on Sunday, August 24. Hide Caption 3 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians run away from debris after a bomb from an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Gaza on Saturday, August 23. Hide Caption 4 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli soldier smokes a cigarette in a large concrete pipe used as shelter at an army deployment point near the Israeli-Gaza border on Wednesday, August 20. Hide Caption 5 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Light trails made by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip stand out against the night sky on Tuesday, August 19. Despite efforts to come to a peaceful agreement, Gaza militants launched rockets into Israel on Tuesday, and Israel responded with its own rockets. Hide Caption 6 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An injured Palestinian man is helped into the Shifa hospital in Gaza City on August 19. Hide Caption 7 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Police examine the remains of a rocket launched from Gaza that landed near the kibbutz of Yad Mordechay on August 19. Hide Caption 8 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on August 19. Hide Caption 9 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Islam El Masri begins to sort through the rubble of her destroyed home in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, on Thursday, August 14. Hide Caption 10 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israelis gather in Tel Aviv during a protest August 14 calling on the government and the army to end Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza once and for all. Hide Caption 11 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke rises in Gaza City after an airstrike on Saturday, August 9. Hide Caption 12 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers walk past a Merkava tank as they patrol a field near Israel's border with Gaza on August 9. Hide Caption 13 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian boy salvages family belongings from the rubble of a four-story building after an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday, August 8. Hide Caption 14 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israelis flee after a rocket fired from Gaza hit the residential neighborhood of Sderot, Israel, on August 8. Hide Caption 15 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian man looks out over destruction in the al-Tufah neighborhood of Gaza City on Wednesday, August 6. Hide Caption 16 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings as they leave a United Nations school in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, to return to their homes Tuesday, August 5. Hide Caption 17 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – The body of Avrohom Wallis is carried during his funeral in Jerusalem on Monday, August 4. Wallis was killed in what Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld called a "terror attack," when a man drove an earthmover into a bus in Jerusalem. Hide Caption 18 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers fire a mortar shell toward Gaza from the Israeli side of the border on August 4. Hide Caption 19 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians remove rubble from a house hit by an airstrike in the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on August 4. Hide Caption 20 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli drone circles over Gaza City on Sunday, August 3. Hide Caption 21 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian man sits in a hospital in Rafah, Gaza, on August 3. Hide Caption 22 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An honor guard caries the coffin of Israeli Lt. Hadar Goldin during his funeral in Kfar-saba, Israel, on August 3. Goldin was thought to have been captured during fighting in Gaza but was later declared killed in action by the Israel Defense Forces. Hide Caption 23 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian boy looks for belongings after an airstrike in Rafah on Saturday, August 2. Hide Caption 24 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers walk to their tank at a staging area near the border with Gaza on August 2. Hide Caption 25 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A young Palestinian carries damaged copies of the Quran from the rubble of the Imam Al Shafaey mosque in Gaza City on August 2. Hide Caption 26 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians displaced from their houses return to check their homes in Gaza City on Friday, August 1. Hide Caption 27 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli soldier carries a shell as he prepares a tank along the Israel-Gaza border on Thursday, July 31. Israel called up 16,000 additional reservists, bolstering forces for its fight against Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. Hide Caption 28 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke rises from a building after an airstrike in Rafah on July 31. Hide Caption 29 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – The parents and a sister of Israeli soldier Guy Algranati mourn during his funeral in Tel Aviv on July 31. Hide Caption 30 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – U.N. workers remove a donkey injured at a U.N.-run school in Gaza on Wednesday, July 30. Hide Caption 31 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians walk under the collapsed minaret of a destroyed mosque in Gaza City on July 30. Hide Caption 32 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians gather leaflets that fell from an Israeli plane on July 30. The leaflets warned residents of airstrikes in Gaza City. Hide Caption 33 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israelis take cover from a Palestinian rocket attack from Gaza during the funeral of Israeli soldier Meidan Maymon Biton, which was held at a cemetery in Netivot, Israel, on Tuesday, July 29. Hide Caption 34 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke and fire rise above Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike on July 29. Hide Caption 35 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli soldier prays on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza on July 29 as smoke billows from the only power plant supplying electricity to Gaza. Hide Caption 36 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Near the rubble of their home in Rafah, Palestinian men mourn July 29 for people killed during an airstrike. Hide Caption 37 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian man places a portrait of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya on the rubble of Haniya's Gaza City home July 29 after it was hit by an overnight airstrike. Hide Caption 38 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Flares from Israeli forces light up the night sky of Gaza City on July 29. Hide Caption 39 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers carry the coffin of 2nd Lt. Roy Peles, an infantry officer who was killed in combat, during his funeral in Tel Aviv on Sunday, July 27. Hide Caption 40 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – During a 12-hour cease-fire in Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood on Saturday, July 26, a Palestinian man sits atop a car filled with belongings that were salvaged from a destroyed home. Hide Caption 41 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers watch a bomb explode along the border with Gaza before the 12-hour cease-fire on July 26. Hide Caption 42 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – As her brother-in-law Mazen Keferna weeps on the ground, Manal Keferna cries upon discovering her family home destroyed by airstrikes in Beit Hanoun on July 26. Hide Caption 43 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians dig a body out of the rubble of a destroyed house in Gaza during the cease-fire on July 26. Hide Caption 44 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli soldier mourns at the grave of reserve Master Sgt. Yair Ashkenazy during his funeral at the military cemetery in Rehovot, Israel, on Friday, July 25. Ashkenazy was killed during operations in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces reported. Hide Caption 45 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian man cries after bringing a child to the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya on Thursday, July 24. The child was wounded in a strike on a school that was serving as a shelter for families in Gaza. It's unclear who was behind the strike. The Israeli military said it was "reviewing" the incident, telling CNN that a rocket fired from Gaza could have been responsible. Hide Caption 46 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers carry a wounded soldier to a helicopter near the Israel-Gaza border on July 24. Hide Caption 47 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers patrol the Israel-Gaza border on July 24. Hide Caption 48 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A trail of blood is seen in the courtyard of the school that was hit July 24 in the Beit Hanoun district of Gaza. Hide Caption 49 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli tank fires toward Gaza from a position near Israel's border on July 24. Hide Caption 50 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A photograph tweeted by astronaut Alexander Gerst on Wednesday, July 23, shows major cities of Israel and Gaza. Gerst said in his tweet: "My saddest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza & #Israel." Hide Caption 51 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A woman in Philadelphia passes by a departure board that shows US Airways Flight 796, scheduled to fly to Tel Aviv, has been canceled on Tuesday, July 22. The Federal Aviation Administration told U.S. airlines they were temporarily prohibited from flying to the Tel Aviv airport after a Hamas rocket exploded nearby. Hide Caption 52 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke and fire from the explosion of an Israeli strike rise over Gaza City on July 22. Hide Caption 53 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A relative of Israeli soldier Jordan Ben-Simon mourns over his coffin during his funeral in Ashkelon, Israel, on July 22. Hide Caption 54 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians inspect destroyed buildings and collect usable items after an Israeli air assault on July 22. Hide Caption 55 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers weep at the grave of Israeli Sgt. Adar Barsano during his funeral Sunday, July 20, in Nahariya, Israel. Hide Caption 56 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinian medics carry a body in Gaza's Shaja'ia district on July 20. Hide Caption 57 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers give medical care to soldiers who were wounded during an offensive in Gaza on July 20. Hide Caption 58 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian boy injured during an Israeli airstrike is taken to the hospital by his father in Gaza City on July 20. Hide Caption 59 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Palestinians flee their homes as Israeli troops focus their firepower on the Gaza town of Shaja'ia on Sunday, July 20. The shelling and bombing killed at least 60 people and wounded 300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Hide Caption 60 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Smoke rises after an Israeli missile hit Shaja'ia on July 20. Hide Caption 61 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian child walks on debris from a destroyed house following an overnight Israeli strike in Beit Lahiya on Saturday, July 19. Hide Caption 62 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An explosion rocks a street in Gaza City on Friday, July 18. Hide Caption 63 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli ground forces move to the Gaza border on July 18. Hide Caption 64 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Israeli soldiers patrol near the Israel-Gaza border on July 18. Hide Caption 65 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A relative mourns July 18 during the funeral of Rani Abu Tawila, a Palestinian who was killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza City. Hide Caption 66 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian demonstrator, protesting Israel's military operation in Gaza, runs through smoke July 18 during clashes with Israeli soldiers at the entrance of the Ofer prison in the West Bank village of Betunia. Hide Caption 67 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – This image, made from video shot through a night-vision scope, was released by the Israeli military on July 18. It shows troops moving through a wall opening during the early hours of the ground offensive in Gaza. Hide Caption 68 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Children stare as Palestinians flee Khan Yunis, Gaza, to safe areas July 18. Hide Caption 69 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli tank fires a shell into Gaza on July 18. Hide Caption 70 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – A Palestinian carries a gas cylinder salvaged from the rubble of an apartment building after it was hit by Israeli fire on July 18. Hide Caption 71 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – An Israeli reservist prays July 18 near the Gaza border by Sderot, Israel. Hide Caption 72 of 73 Photos: Photos: Israel-Gaza crisis Israel-Gaza crisis – Flare smoke rises into the Gaza City sky on Thursday, July 17. Hide Caption 73 of 73 
 
 Hard-line Jewish activists have begun demanding greater access to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, in Jerusalem's Old City, and right-wing politicians have called for the rights of Jews to pray there. Known as Haram Al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, it's also one of the holiest sites in Islam. 
 
 The Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has accused Israeli security forces of escorting Jewish hard-liners onto the Temple Mount and into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. 
 
 Clashes at the site have become common. 
 
 Jewish settlements 
 
 Attempts by the United States to revive the Mideast peace process have fallen flat for more than a decade, with the most recent hopes being dashed last year, followed by the third Gaza war. 
 
 In the meantime, Israel has forged ahead with the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which cut crisscrossing furrows through Palestinian territory. 
 
 This week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the boom in settlements. 
 
 "There's been a massive increase in settlements over the course of the last years," Kerry said. "Now you have this violence because there's a frustration that is growing, and a frustration among Israelis who don't see any movement." ||||| Add a location to your Tweets 
 
 When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| Skip Ad x Embed x Share Palestinians set fire to a Jewish shrine in the West Bank on Friday as the Islamist group Hamas called for a day of rage against Israel, with tensions still running high after two weeks of violence. USA TODAY 
 
 A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to throw stones toward Israeli soldiers during clashes near the border fence between Israel and the central Gaza Strip east of Bureij on Oct. 15. (Photo: AFP) 
 
 Palestinians late Thursday set fire to a religious site in the West Bank revered by some Jews as the tomb of biblical patriarch Joseph. 
 
 In a separate incident Friday, a Palestinian impersonating a journalist stabbed an Israeli solider. 
 
 The attacks came as the militant group Hamas called for a "day of rage" against Israel to begin following afternoon prayers. 
 
 Palestinian security forces extinguished the blaze early Friday at Joseph's Tomb, a small stone structure in the West Bank city of Nablus. 
 
 The tomb has become a popular prayer site in recent years among some religious Jews. 
 
 An Israeli soldier grabs a Palestinian's hand holding a knife after he stabbed another Israeli soldier in the West Bank. The Palestinian man wearing a yellow "press" vest and a T-shirt identifying him as journalist stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before being shot dead by troops. (Photo: Nasser Shiyoukhi, AP) 
 
 Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israel's Defense Forces, said the "burning and desecration of Joseph's Tomb (was) a blatant violation and contradiction of the basic value of freedom of worship." 
 
 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack and called for an investigation. 
 
 Separately, the IDF said that one of its soldiers was stabbed in Kiryat Arba, a town on the outskirts of Hebron. The soldier was lightly wounded and the assailant, who was disguised as a news photographer, was shot on site, the IDF said. 
 
 The Palestinian man had been wearing a T-shirt with the word "press" written on it. 
 
 The two incidents arrived at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. 
 
 Eight Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks over the last month, the majority of them as a result of stabbings. 
 
 Over the same period, 31 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, including 14 labeled by Israel as attackers. The rest were killed in clashes with Israeli troops. 
 
 Hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza on Friday clashed with Israeli troops. 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Lx6r6h ||||| The biblical Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob. He was born to Jacobs favorite wife, Rachel, in Paddan-Aram after she had been barren for seven years. Joseph fathered two of the twelve tribes of Israel: Ephraim and Manasseh. Information about Joseph is found in Genesis chapters 37-50. 
 
 At the age of 17, Joseph was a shepherd alongside his brothers. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his other sons. Joseph would report his brothers misdeeds to his father and Jacob gave Joseph a "coat of many colors." The other brothers were jealous of Joseph and hated him. Joseph only further provoked this hatred when he told his brothers about two of his dreams. In the first, sheaves of wheat belonging to his brothers bowed to his own sheaf. In the second, the son, moon, and 11 stars bowed to him. 
 
 One day, Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem to check on his brothers. Joseph went to Shechem and, when his brothers were not there, followed them to Dothan. When the brothers saw him, they plotted to kill him and throw him into a pit. The oldest brother, Reuben, suggested that they merely throw Joseph into the pit, so Reuben could secretly save Joseph later. When Joseph approached, the brothers took his coat and threw him into the pit. They sat down to eat and saw a caravan of Ishmaelite traders from Gilead in the distance. Judah came up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. The brothers then dipped his coat into the blood of a slaughtered goat and brought it back to Jacob. Jacob recognized the coat and concluded that a beast had killed his son. He mourned for many days and was inconsolable. 
 
 Meanwhile, the traders took Joseph down to Egypt where Potiphar, an officer and head of the kitchen of Pharaoh, bought him. Joseph was successful there and Potiphar made Joseph his personal attendant, putting him in charge of the entire household. 
 
 Joseph was well built and handsome and after some time Potiphars wife tried to seduce him. She approached Joseph day after day but he refused her each time, citing loyalty to Potiphar and to God. One day, Joseph came into the house to work. Potiphars wife grabbed his coat and he ran away. She then pretended that Joseph had tried to seduce her and slandered him first to her servants and then to her husband. Potiphar was furious and sent Joseph to a jail for the kings prisoners. 
 
 In prison, the chief jailor liked Joseph and put him in charge of all the other prisoners, including Pharaohs butler and baker. One night both the butler and the baker had strange dreams. Joseph interpreted the dreams, saying that in three days time the butler would be recalled to his former position while the baker would be killed. Sure enough, three days later, Pharaoh restored the butler to his job and killed the baker. Joseph asked the butler to mention his name to Pharaoh in the hope that he would be freed, but the butler forgot about Joseph. 
 
 Two years later, Pharaoh himself had two dreams that his magicians could not interpret. The butler then remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh sent for the 30-year-old Joseph. He appeared before Pharaoh and told him in the name of God that the dreams forecasted seven years of plentiful crops followed by seven years of famine. He advised Pharaoh to make a wise man commissioner over the land with overseers to gather and store food from the seven years of abundance to save for the years of scarcity. Josephs prediction and advice pleased Pharaoh and he made Joseph his second-in-command. He gave Joseph his ring and dressed him in robes of linen with a gold chain around his neck. Pharaoh gave him the Egyptian name Zaphenath-paneah and found him a wife named Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera the priest of On. 
 
 Joseph traveled throughout Egypt, gathering and storing enormous amounts of grain from each city. During these years, Asenath and Joseph had two sons. The first Joseph named Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget (nashani) completely my hardship and my parental home" (Genesis 41:51). He named the second son Ephraim, meaning, "God has made me fertile (hiprani) in the land of my affliction" (Genesis 41:52). After seven years, a famine spread throughout the world, and Egypt was the only country that had food. Joseph was in charge of rationing grain to the Egyptians and to all who came to Egypt. 
 
 The famine affected Canaan and Jacob sent his 10 oldest sons to Egypt to get food, keeping only Benjamin, Rachels second son and Jacobs youngest child, at home out of concern for his safety. Josephs brothers came and bowed to Joseph, who recognized them immediately but pretended they were strangers. He asked them where they were from and accused them of being spies. They denied his claim but he continued to speak harshly to them and interrogate them. They told him they had a younger brother at home. Joseph then locked them in the guardhouse for three days before commanding the brothers to go home and bring their youngest brother back with them to prove that they were telling the truth. The brothers spoke among themselves lamenting that they were being punished for what they had done to Joseph, who overheard them, turned away and wept, but then continued his act. He gave them grain and provisions for the journey, secretly returned their money and kept Simeon in jail pending their return. 
 
 The brothers returned to Canaan and told Jacob all that had happened in Egypt. They asked Jacob to send Benjamin down with them but he refused, "Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you would take away Benjamin" (Genesis 42:36). Even Reubens offer that Jacob could kill Reubens two sons if Benjamin did not return safely did not move Jacob. Eventually, they finished the rations from Egypt and the famine became so severe that Jacob no longer had a choice. Judah told Jacob to send Benjamin in his care and if Benjamin did not return, "I shall stand guilty before you forever" (Genesis 43:9) So Jacob sent the brothers back to Egypt with Benjamin, along with a gift for Joseph and double the necessary money to repay the money that was returned to them. 
 
 When the brothers arrived, Joseph brought them to the entrance of his house and instructed his servant to prepare a meal. The brothers were scared and told Joseph they did not know how the money got back in their bags. Joseph replied that their God must have put it there because he received their payment. The brothers then went inside and waited for Joseph to come eat with them. When he returned, they gave him the gifts and bowed to him. He asked about their father, and they responded that he was well, and bowed a second time. He asked if Benjamin was their brother, and left the room, overcome with emotion after seeing his brother again. He then returned and ate and drank with his brothers, giving Benjamin more food than the others. He then instructed his servant to fill the brothers bags with food, return each ones money a second time, and put his own silver goblet in Benjamins bag. 
 
 As soon as the brothers left the city, Josephs servant overtook them and accused them of stealing Josephs goblet. He said that whoever had the goblet in his possession would be kept as a slave, while the others would go free. He searched their possessions and found the goblet in Benjamins bag. All the brothers returned to the city and threw themselves on the ground before Joseph. Judah expressed their willingness to become Josephs slave. Joseph answered that only the one in whose possession the goblet was found would become a slave. Judah then pleaded with Joseph, telling him of Jacobs reluctance to send Benjamin and of his own responsibility for Benjamin. He told of the sorrow that would overtake Jacob if Benjamin did not return. At this point, Joseph could not longer control himself. He sent away all of his attendants, began to cry loudly and revealed his true identity to his brothers. 
 
 Josephs first query was about his father, but the brothers were too shocked to answer. He reassured them that it was Gods providence that sent him to Egypt to ensure their survival during the famine, and he was not angry with them. He sent them back with instructions to tell Jacob what had become of Joseph and to bring Jacob and his household to the nearby town of Goshen where Joseph could care for them during the next five years of famine. He then embraced Benjamin, kissed all of his brothers and wept. 
 
 Pharaoh heard that Josephs brothers had come and told them to bring their households to Egypt where he would give them the best of the land. Joseph gave each of them a wagon, provisions for the trip and a change of clothing. He gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and several changes of clothing. He also sent a large present back for his father. 
 
 At first Jacob did not believe that Joseph was alive. After he saw the wagons that Joseph sent, however, he realized it was true. Then Jacob, at age 130, set out for Goshen with the 70 members of his household. He sent Judah ahead of him so Joseph knew that his father was coming. Joseph went to meet him and they embraced and cried. Joseph told Pharaoh that his brothers and father had arrived. The brothers informed Pharaoh that they were shepherds and Pharaoh put them in charge of his livestock. They lived in the best part of Egypt, in Rameses, and Joseph provided them with bread. 
 
 As the famine continued, the Egyptians eventually ran out of money. They begged Joseph for food and he gave them bread in exchange for their animals. After a year, their animals were gone and Joseph made a new deal with the people. He gave them seed to plant on their farms and in exchange they gave Pharaoh one-fifth of their crops. He nationalized all farmland except that belonging to the priests, and turned the people into serfs. 
 
 After Jacob had lived in Egypt for 17 years, he called Joseph to him and made him swear that when Jacob died, Joseph would not bury him in Egypt, but would take him to the burial place of his fathers. Joseph swore to this. Soon after, Joseph was told that his father was sick. He brought his two sons to Jacob. Jacob assured Joseph that he would consider Ephraim and Manasseh to be his sons just like Reuben and Simeon were when it came to the inheritance that God had promised Jacobs offspring. Jacob then blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. Although Manasseh was the first-born, Jacob put his right hand, the stronger hand, on Ephraims head. When Joseph corrected him, Jacob said he did it on purpose and predicted that Ephraim would surpass Manasseh in greatness. Jacob told Joseph that he was about to die, but reassured him that God would be with him. He also assigned him an extra portion of his inheritance, a privilege usually given to the first-born. 
 
 Jacob blessed all of his sons, giving the longest blessing to Joseph. He instructed them to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, and then he died. Joseph flung himself at his father, cried and kissed him. Joseph then ordered his physicians to embalm Jacob. The Egyptians mourned for 70 days. Joseph received permission to go to Canaan to bury Jacob. He took his brothers and his fathers household, along with all of Pharaohs officials and dignitaries, and left Egypt in a large group. When they came to Goren ha-Atad, he observed a seven-day mourning period. Joseph and his brothers then continued to the cave of Machpelah where they buried Jacob. They then returned to Egypt. 
 
 Once Jacob was dead, the brothers were scared that Joseph would take revenge on them for selling him. They sent a message to Joseph saying that before his death Jacob had instructed them to tell Joseph to forgive them. They then offered to be his slaves. Joseph reassured them, saying that God intended for Joseph to go down to Egypt to ensure the survival of many people, and Joseph would take care of them and their children. So Joseph, his brothers and his fathers household remained in Egypt. 
 
 Joseph lived 110 years. He saw great-grandchildren from both his sons. Before he died, he told his brothers that God would one day bring them up from Egypt into the land that God promised their fathers. He made them swear to carry his bones out of Egypt into that land. Joseph died and was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt. 
 
 When the Jews eventually left Egypt, Moses carried out Josephs bones. Joseph was buried in Shechem, on a piece of land that Jacob had previously bought. Josephs two sons both became tribes in Israel and the northern Israelite kingdom is many times referred to as the "House of Joseph." 
 
 Sources: >"Joseph" Encyclopedia Britannica Online; Encyclopedia Judaica. "Joseph". CD-ROM Edition, Judaica Multimedia (Israel) Ltd; The World Book Encyclopedia. "Joseph". Vol. 11, 1988 Edition.
– A holy site in the West Bank often visited by Jewish pilgrims under the cover of darkness with the Israeli military protecting them was set on fire by Palestinians Thursday night. Though firefighters put out the blaze, the incident has only added fuel to the fire already burning between the region's Israelis and Palestinians, the BBC reports. The attack in Nablus on Joseph's Tomb, said to be the burial site of the Bible's Joseph, 11th son of Jacob, involved gas bombs and occurred just hours after Benjamin Netanyahu implored Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to call for a stop to local violence—and a day before a planned Palestinian "day of rage," per USA Today. Peter Lerner, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, called it "a blatant violation of the basic value of freedom of worship" in a tweet; Israel's agriculture minister called the tomb arson "unforgivable." Tensions had already descended into a death spiral, with dozens of deaths from stabbings and shootings in Israel over the past month, CNN and the BBC report; at least seven Israelis and at least 30 Palestinians have been killed. The tomb itself has also been attacked before, including when it was almost decimated by Palestinians in 2000. CNN cites a Palestinian official who says the tomb is still standing but part of the compound has burned. Abbas spoke out against "these kind of acts or any other acts that violate the law and order and offends our culture, religion, and morals," per the Palestinians' WAFA news group, but Israel doesn't plan on letting things lie: Lerner tweeted that the "#IDF will bring perpetrators to justice."