RAMALLAH, Israeli settlers today chopped down dozens of olive trees in Turmus Ayya town, northeast of Ramallah, according to local sources.

They said that the settlers sneaked their way in the early morning hours into the privately owned Palestinian As-Sahel area, and sabotaged 30 olive trees, aged over 25 years.

The assailants, the sources added, closed down a nearby road to prevent the landowners from accessing their olive orchards.

Less than two weeks ago, settlers cut some 450 trees in orchards belonging to famers from the town and the nearby village of al-Mughayyir.

During that incident, they trespassed on the orchards after cutting fences surrounding them and destroying several water tanks.

The assailants came from the nearby illegal colonial settlement outpost of Adi Ad, built on stolen Palestinian lands from Turmus Ayya and the al-Mughayyir.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Settler violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

There are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

Source: Palestine News Agency