Palestinians set alight parts of Joseph's Tomb in Nablus overnight Thursday as they rioted and threw Molotov cocktails, while security forces have prepared for confrontations on Friday.

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Palestinian security forces chased the arsonists away and put out the fire.

The compound on Thursday night

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai and the head of the Civil Administration Brig. Gen. David Menachem spoke with Palestinian officials regarding the incident, who condemned it.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ordered the formation of an inquiry commission on the incident, which was described in the official Palestinian news agency as an irresponsible act. Abbas also instructed immediate repairs to the site.

The fire on Thursday night

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Hamas declared Friday a "day of rage", as was the case on every Friday for the past month. Other Palestinian factions are also expected to clash with security forces at long-standing points of friction in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Hebron. East Jerusalem is also expected to be the site of confrontations following noon prayers.

Rallies are also expected in the Gaza Strip after prayers, with some calling for evening rallies as well.

Confrontations at the Gaza border last week, in which eight Palestinians died as hundreds tangled with security forces, have further inflamed tensions ahead of the day of rage.

Hamas has been urging young people to go out and rally, but it is unclear whether members of the organization will permit protesters to reach the Gaza border fence given last week's fatalities. Nevertheless, the marchers are expected to reach several points of friction simultaneously in the north, center and south of the Gaza Strip.

IDF continues to be on high alert well into the weekend, especially during Friday prayers and the disturbances expected afterwards.

Hundreds of reinforcement fighters of the two battalions which joined the Gaza Division Friday were deployed near the friction points at the fence line opposite the al Bureij refugee camp and near Shuja'iyya in the north, due to estimations that protests will continue Friday near the fence.