Israeli settlers burn Palestinian olive groves in Nablus

Israeli settlers burned Palestinian olive groves in the Nablus Governorate in the northern West Bank yesterday, and the Israeli army demolished an industrial facility in the same governorate, Anadolu has reported. According to the Palestinian Authority’s Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, the arson attack was in the town of Madama, south of Nablus.

An eyewitness told the news agency that the settlers “deliberately burned a large area of land with olive trees before the fire was brought under control” by the villagers. They explained that the targeted land is located along a street used by Jewish settlers, “who threw burning objects along the road, before the fire spread to large areas of Palestinian olive groves.”

Also in Nablus, the Commission reported that the Israeli army demolished an industrial facility under construction near the village of Deir Sharaf, west of the city, without providing further details.

Coinciding with the devastating Israeli military offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ongoing since last October, illegal settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank. At least 578 Palestinians have been killed by the army and settlers since October alone; a further 5,400 have been wounded.

WATCH: Israeli settlers beat woman to the ground