RAMALLAH: Jewish occupiers on Sunday set fire to dozens of acres of Palestinian farmland near the West Bank settlement of Nablus in protest at their eviction by Israeli troops from a settlement outpost.
Palestinian security sources told Arab News that the farmlands were in the West Bank villages of Kafr Kaddoum and Jit.
Early Sunday, Israeli soldiers and police evacuated the outpost of Mitzpe Ami. Israeli Army Radio reported that 13 occupiers were arrested after refusing to leave the area.
According to the report, the forces arrived at the outpost in the early morning hours and presented the settlers with a closed military zone order. After they refused to leave, the security forces arrested 13 people and handed them over to the police.
The outpost was set up in August. Some 30 right-wing Jewish activists went up to Mitzpe Ami, and after most of them were evacuated, several remained on the hill.
After Sunday's evacuation the settlers issued a statement saying "we will not be deterred by the army and police's disturbances and will continue to settle the place."
