Israel arrests settlers over Palestinian shootings

Five Israelis from a wildcat settlement outpost in the northern West Bank were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of shooting and wounding two Palestinians in February, Israeli army radio reported. The suspects, from Esh Kodesh, near Nablus, were believed to have shot two men from the neighbouring Palestinian village of Qusra during a confrontation, the radio said, adding police found a weapons cache at the outpost in an overnight raid. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP that five Israelis were arrested in connection with "anti-Arab incidents" in the Qusra area, but he did not elaborate. On February 23, Palestinian security sources and the Israeli military said settlers from Esh Kodesh used live fire on villagers and that two Palestinians were injured. There have been repeated clashes between the sides, each of which claims farmland between the two communities.