Jewish settlers accused of torching mosque

Palestinian leaders are blaming Jewish settlers for a fire in a West Bank mosque. The fire early Tuesday morning broke out in a mosque inside a village school building in Hawara, near Nablus. The governor of Nablus, Jibreen al Bakri, accused settlers of arson, Reuters reported.

[additional-authors]

Jewish Journal

May 3, 2011

Palestinian leaders are blaming Jewish settlers for a fire in a West Bank mosque.

The fire early Tuesday morning broke out in a mosque inside a village school building in Hawara, near Nablus. The governor of Nablus, Jibreen al Bakri, accused settlers of arson, Reuters reported.

Two Palestinian men from Hawara have been arrested and reportedly confessed to the murder of five members of the Fogel family from the nearby Jewish settlement of Itamar.

Israeli police are investigating the mosque incident. Unlike other recent arson and vandal attacks in West Bank Palestinian areas, where graffiti written in Hebrew was found at the scenes, no such signs were found in Hawara, police told Reuters.