Thousands of illegal Israeli settlers stormed Joseph's Tomb in the east of Nablus city of Palestine’s occupied West Bank in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.

WAFA reported that Israeli occupation forces simultaneously raided the eastern part of the city, deploying across multiple neighbourhoods and occupying rooftops of residential buildings during the incursion.

More than 5,000 illegal settlers took part in the storming of the site, among them far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and several members of the Israeli Knesset, the agency said. Several checkpoints surrounding Nablus were closed during the raid.

WAFA also reported that illegal settlers spray-painted racist graffiti on the walls of Qadri Toukan Secondary School for Boys, located near Joseph's Tomb.

Archaeologists: The site is a Muslim sheikh’s tomb

In a separate incident, Israeli forces detained a young man identified as Luay Labdeh following a raid on his home in the Khallat al-Amoud neighbourhood of the city.

Meanwhile, the Nablus Education Directorate delayed the start of the school day until 8.30 am (0530GMT) because of the incursion and accompanying military measures.

Joseph’s Tomb is located on the eastern edge of Nablus, an area under Palestinian control, and is one of the most tense sites in the occupied West Bank.

Since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, illegal settlers have claimed the site is a sacred religious shrine and believe the remains of the Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob, are buried there.

Archaeologists dispute that claim, saying the site is only a few centuries old and is likely the tomb of a Muslim sheikh named Yusuf Dweikat.