Tensions flared near the town of Sa-Nur over the weekend after a Palestinian family removed the body of a relative from a nearby cemetery shortly after burial, following a confrontation with Israeli residents and security forces.
According to reports, members of the al-Assasa family from the village of Jaba buried 80-year-old Hussein Assasa on Friday in a Palestinian cemetery located roughly 100 meters from homes in Sa-Nur. The burial was reportedly coordinated in advance with Israeli security forces.
Settlers claimed the burial was part of an effort by local Palestinians to establish a cemetery adjacent to the community in order to hinder future expansion of the settlement.
Shortly after the funeral, residents of Sa-Nur reportedly arrived at the site and began digging in the cemetery area and around the grave, leading to clashes between the two sides. Israeli forces were called to the scene, confiscated digging tools and worked to prevent further escalation.
At the conclusion of the incident, the Palestinian family removed the body and reburied it in the nearby village of Funduq. Palestinian media alleged the family was forced to relocate the grave despite prior coordination with the IDF.
Residents of Sa-Nur rejected those claims, describing the burial as a “cynical provocation" aimed at creating facts on the ground that could later be used to block expansion of the settlement due to the presence of graves nearby.
The IDF said the funeral had been coordinated in advance with security officials and confirmed that troops were dispatched after receiving reports of friction between Israeli civilians and Palestinians at the site.
“The family later decided on its own to transfer the body for an alternative burial," the military said, adding that forces did not order the removal of the remains.
The IDF further stated that it “condemns any attempt to act in a manner that harms public order, the rule of law and the dignity of the living and the dead," and said the incident would be reviewed.
The Samaria Regional Council accused Palestinians of staging a deliberate provocation shortly before the start of Shabbat for media and political purposes.
In a statement, the council said the burial took place in what it described as an ancient cemetery that had not been used for approximately 20 years and alleged the move was intended to undermine the legitimacy and security of the renewed Jewish presence in Sa-Nur.
Council officials strongly denied accusations against settlement residents, insisting there were “not two violent sides" in the confrontation and accusing Palestinians of exploiting the burial to create tensions and damage the image of the community and the State of Israel. "Those who returned to Sa-Nur after two decades are law-abiding Israelis and that the incident was part of a broader attempt to harm the town and establish new realities on the ground."