Extremist Jewish settlers have burned dozens of olive trees on Palestinian farms in the neighbourhood of Beit Forik near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, Palestine Information Centre reported on Friday.

Local sources said that the settlers came from the illegal Israeli colony-settlement of Itmar. They were protected by a contingent of the Israeli occupation forces.

Palestinian farmers and fire fighters rushed to the farms to fight the fires which spread in three areas.

Meanwhile, 800 other Jewish settlers, also protected by Israeli occupation forces, invaded the village of Kafl Haris to the north of Salfit and performed mystical rituals near old tombs. They claimed that the tombs are those of Jewish rabbis.