Palestinians hurt in West Bank clashes with settlers

Three Palestinians were wounded on Saturday in clashes with Jewish settlers from a wildcat settlement near a village in the northern West Bank, various sources said. Settlers from Esh Kodesh clashed with Palestinians from Qusra village, south of Nablus, throwing rocks at them and destroying olive trees that belonged to them, according to witnesses and Palestinian security sources. One Palestinian was hit by a live round fired by the settlers, and the two others by rubber bullets shot by Israeli security forces who arrived on the scene, they said. A military spokesman said the clashes had broken out "between around 150 Palestinians and 25 Israelis from the West Bank who were throwing stones," adding that the security forces were on the scene. Confrontations have multiplied this year between Esh Kodesh settlers and Palestinians living nearby.