Israeli settler communities have destroyed 103 olive trees by spraying harmful chemicals on them, West Bank settlements chief Ghassan Douglas has claimed. The assault took place close to Israel’s Yitshar settlement on the edge of Nablus. Douglas said: “This is the first time settlers have burnt dozens of trees with chemicals.” The exact chemical had not yet been verified, he added, but that laboratory tests were underway. Residents of the Palestinian village of Burin have said that the trees were owned by Barakat Ghalib and Tayseer Al Nagar, local farmers. Attacks by settlers on Palestinian communities has increased in recent months, with 180 incidents reported since the beginning of the year. There were 200 similar incidents in 2012.