Middle East Eye reports:

Israeli bulldozers joined by hundreds of soldiers and police demolished Palestinian homes on the outskirts of East Jerusalem on Monday, in the face of local protests and international criticism.

The Israeli forces moved into the Palestinian village of Sur Bahir in the early hours to demolish 11 buildings, including dozens of homes, in the Wadi Hummus neighbourhood close to the barrier which cuts the West Bank from Jerusalem.

By late afternoon, at least one resident had been arrested and 10 buildings razed, MEE’s correspondent reported.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told a gathering of ministers on Monday that the demolitions were a violation of international law, while other Palestinian officials called for the International Criminal Court to investigate.

UN officials said they were ready to provide assistance to those who had been displaced, but added that “no amount of humanitarian assistance” could replace the loss of the owners, some who had invested their life savings.

“Among those forcibly displaced or otherwise impacted are Palestine refugees, some of whom today are facing the reality of a second displacement in living memory,” a UN statement said. [Continue reading…]