NABLUS, March 4, 2011 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers vandalized late Thursday and early Friday several villages in the Nablus area, uprooting olive tree and throwing rocks at Palestinian cars, according to local residents and officials.

They said settlers attacked the village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus, and uprooted olive trees the residents had planted only weeks ago.

They accused settlers from nearby settlements, particularly from an outpost the Israeli army had recently removed but the settlers had since then rebuilt, of vandalizing their fields and village.

Jewish settlers attacked villages in the Nablus area on Thursday in retaliation against Israeli army removal of structures they had built in settlements not sanctioned by the Israeli military government.

Local residents confronted the settlers, some of them armed, clashing with them with stones and entering into fist fights.

The Israeli army intervened only when settlers’ lives were in danger but stood by watching when they cut trees, set fields on fire and threw rocks at Palestinian cars, said the residents.

The settlers were defying Israeli army decision regarding some outposts but ended up taking revenge against Palestinian civilians and their property in Israeli-army controlled areas of the West Bank. They had declared Thursday as a “day of rage” against what they claim was Israeli government policy toward them.

M.A.