US consulate cars stoned in West Bank

Rocks were hurled at two vehicles of the US consulate in the Jewish illegal settlement area of Adei Ad Friday, police said.

"The vehicles arrived at Adei Ad and received the brunt of the rocks thrown at them," police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld said, adding no one was injured, Xinhua reported.

Rosenfeld said the visit was not coordinated with Israeli authorities and that police were investigating the case. Police believe Jewish settlement residents were involved in the incident.

According to Rabbis for Human Rights, a non-governmental Left-wing organisation, the US consulate delegates came to examine claims by Palestinian residents of the nearby Turmus Ayya village where settlers destroyed 5,000 olive trees.

As for the settlers, they said the US bodyguards drew their personal firearms and M16 rifles at them following a confrontation at the scene.

The US consulate and the prime minister's office did not give an official statement regarding the incident.

Late Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ein died in the same area last month, following a physical confrontation with Israeli security forces amid a demonstration against unauthorised outposts built near their village.

The incident could serve as an additional blow to already shaky US-Israeli relations, which analysts believe are at an all-time low.

Tensions mounted between the two close allies during the collapse of peace talks with the Palestinians, disagreements over negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear programme and a host of controversial comments made by Israeli officials towards their US counterparts.