Israel 'probes' West Bank mosque blaze

Israel says it has launched a 'widespread' investigation into an attack on a West Bank mosque blamed on Jewish settlers. According to witnesses, parts of the Al-Anbiya mosque in the Palestinian town of Beit Fajjar was set ablaze by five Jewish settlers early on Monday morning. The arsonists also damaged prayer rugs and copies of the Quran, besides spraying anti-Arab graffiti on the walls. Following the attack, Avital Leibovitch, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said authorities will bring the guilty parties to justice. "The Israeli police ... have opened a very widespread investigation; the other security forces in Israel will be a part of [it], as well as Palestinian information that has some contribution to this investigation," she said. "We see this incident in a very severe manner. We will do the utmost to find these lawbreakers and bring them to court." Primary investigations, she said, showed Hebrew graffiti and burnt carpets at the mosque. However, Al Jazeera's Mika Hanna, reporting from Jerusalem, said the Israeli announcement has been met with "a degree of scepticism".