Israeli settlers have set fire to Palestinian olive groves near the evacuated illegal settlement of Homesh, near the West Bank city of Nablus.

The Thursday incident was confirmed by a Palestinian Authority (PA) official, Ghasan Daghlas, who is charged with monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank.

He said that the Jewish settlers set fire to the Palestinian-owned olive groves in the area of Khahlet Awana, incurring heavy loss to the Palestinian farmers, Maan reported.

Palestinians say it is another sign that extremists are targeting a key product of the Palestinian economy.

Palestinians say that settlers usually use this method, many times with the help of Israeli soldiers, to take over their land.

According to human rights groups and local Palestinians, over 70 complaints have been filed over the past four years about damage to Palestinians’ trees.

They also say that since the start of the olive harvest, Israelis have often bveen seen cutting down trees, stealing olives, and harassing farmers when they sought to harvest their crops.

(Press TV)