Extremist Israeli settlers destroyed on Friday dozens of olive trees planted on Palestinian land in Masafer Yatta area, to the south of AlKhalil, in the southern occupied West Bank.

Rateb Jabour, a local Palestinian activist, told WAFA news agency that a group of settlers uprooted nearly 70 olive trees belonging to a local Palestinian farmer after breaking into his land in the area.

He said Israeli soldiers who were present at the scene did nothing to stop the settler violence and rather provided the settlers with protection.

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

There ae over 650,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, in violation of international law.