Armed Israel settlers have invaded Palestinian-owned buildings and lands designated by the Palestinian Authority for the construction of the first centrally-planned Palestinian town called Rawabi.

Around 60 settlers associated with the group "Youth for the Land of Israel" attempted to take over the area hanging Israeli flags on the buildings. They also conducted prayers there.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, near the central West Bank town of Bir Zeit.

Meir Bertler, one of the settlers involved in the invasion, told the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahranoth, "We want to create a Jewish territorial sequence from Ofra to Ateret, and we know that the Palestinians plan to create a similar building sequence."

Although the Oslo Accord — signed on September 13, 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington— forbade expansion of illegal settlements, Israel has built hundreds of such settlements and is still building them on occupied Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Jerusalem al-Quds.

Over 500,000 Israelis are currently living in settlements labeled illegal by the United Nations and the Fourth Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949.

(Press TV)