RAMALLAH, May 1, 2013 (WAFA) – A report published Wednesday by the Civil Defense on fire and other incidents in the West Bank in the last hours said fire fighters had to deal with 57 wild fires caused intentionally by Israeli settlers and which gutted hundreds of trees and agricultural land.

It said that most of the fires were started by the settlers, who were avenging the killing of a settler near Nablus on Tuesday.

The fires destroyed hundreds of olive and almond trees and a large area of cultivated land and crops.

The Civil Defense crews also helped people overcome suffocation from tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers who intervened to prevent the Palestinian residents in the southern Nablus area from resisting the rampant settlers and keep them from burning down their villages.