Israeli Settlers chop down Palstinian olive trees south of Nablus

Ma'an
Several Israeli settlers cut down dozens of olive trees in the West Bank village of Burin village south of Nablus on Thursday morning, a local official reported.

Ghassan Douglas, who holds the settlement portfolio for the northern West Bank, said that a number of settlers from the Yitzhar colony destroyed 81 olive trees on the property of Akram Amran. He said he considered the destruction "provocative and unacceptable."

Israeli sources quoted Palestinians saying as many as 97 trees were chopped down. Amram told the English-language news agency Ynet that at around 5:30am he had discovered 97 uprooted olive trees.

"I am not embarrassed to admit that when I discovered the massacre which took place on my land, I cried," he said, according to the news source. "These trees are more than 60 years old and I raised them just like I raised my kids." Full story