Olive tree wars: Israeli settlers do battle with Palestinians over olive groves

The two communities have planted record numbers of new saplings in a bid to entrench their rival claims over one of the world?s most bitterly contested territories Photo: AFP/GETTY

Nearly 3,500 olive trees a week have been destroyed in the harvest’s first month after settlers set them alight, cut them down or poisoned them with chemicals, according to Palestinian officials. Reprisal attacks on settler produce have also been reported.