JERUSALEM

Israel has demolished more than 500 structures in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday.

In a statement, the UN office said 506 buildings were razed by Israeli forces in the West Bank on the pretext of lacking a building permit.

According to the statement, a total of 134 structures were demolished in east Jerusalem.

OCHA said Israeli forces brought down 22 buildings over the past two weeks, causing the displacement of 50 Palestinians and causing harms to around 200 others.

According to the UN office, eight demolitions out of 12 in East Jerusalem were carried out by the owners themselves in order to avoid fines and fees imposed by Israeli authorities.

The other 10 demolished structures were located in Area C, which accounts for around 60% of the West Bank territory.

Israel occupied the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, during the 1967 Middle East war. Israel justifies the demolition of Palestinian homes by lacking building permits, despite the fact that Israel does not provide such permits to Palestinians.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara