A number of Israeli settlers have set fire to Palestinian farms in northern West Bank, in an attempt to scare the Palestinians into abandoning their land.

The farms damaged on Monday were owned by the Palestinians in the villages of Erak Bureen and Raubah, in the vicinity of Nablus, local sources reported.

Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian Authority official responsible for settlement affairs, told Ma'an news agency that the settlers are planning to take control of the land in the area, which is near the 'illegal' Israeli settlement of Barakah.

He called on Washington and the European Union to mount pressure on Tel Aviv's government to freeze its settlements.

Meanwhile, Israeli military troopers destroyed five acres of land owned by villagers at al-Towani village in southern West Bank.

Armed settlers frequently attack Palestinian villagers and slaughter their sheep in flocks while Israeli soldiers simply turn a blind eye to the incidents.

More than 285,000 Israelis currently live in the settlements, which apart from being in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 446, 452 and 465 are considered illegal by the international community.

MP/SME/MMN