Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- Worshippers who came to pray at Joseph 's Tomb , a Jewish holy site in the northern West Bank city of Nablus , found swastikas and graffiti sprayed on the walls . Israel Defense Forces tried to cover up the graffiti with white paint , a spokesman said . It is unclear when the graffiti was sprayed on the walls . Joseph 's Tomb is under Palestinian Authority rule and Jewish worshippers arrive every couple of months to pray at the holy site . The visit to the tomb is coordinated by the Israeli forces , who escorted the 1,300 people who came to pray overnight Wednesday . The Israeli Civil Administration filed a complaint with the Palestinian Authority . `` Joseph 's Tomb was abandoned exactly 11 years ago after Palestinians forcefully took over the place . According to the Oslo agreements , it should be under Israeli rule and this proves that freedom of religion and worship can only be achieved if Israel controls the tomb , '' said Dani Dayan , the Yesha Council chairman , an umbrella group for settlements . The discovery of the graffiti comes a few days after the burning of a mosque in the Israeli village of Tuba Zangariyye , which led to confrontations between residents and Israeli police . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Israeli President Shimon Peres and the chief rabbis strongly condemned the attack in the village .
It is unclear when the graffiti was sprayed on the walls of the tomb . Joseph 's Tomb is in the northern West Bank city of Nablus . The Israeli military said it had no immediate comment about the incident.