RAMALLAH,  Feb. 23 (JMCC) – In the West Bank village of Burin, near Nablus, 40 olive trees were reported to have been cut down by Israeli settlers from the nearby settlement of Yitzhar, on Tuesday.

A similar case was reported last November in Burin, where nearly 100 olive trees were destroyed by Jewish settlers. Violence, vandalism, and destruction of property have become common fixtures in the relationship between Palestinians and settlers in the occupied West Bank.

In July, 1500 Palestinian-owned olive trees were burned down by Jewish settlers on horseback. Settlers claimed it was part of a ‘price tag’ policy in which they would exact revenge on Palestinian property every time the Israeli government made an attempt to dislodge them.

Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law. Some 500,000 settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. In a report published at the end of last year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over 250,000 Palestinians were at a high threat level of violence from Israeli settlers.