Israeli troops bulldozed a cluster of Palestinian homes in the village of Sur Baher, West Bank, despite protests and international outcry.
Palestinian residents said they had been given permits to build within areas run by the Palestinian Authority which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under the Oslo interim peace deals with Israel.
Israel, however, claimed that the buildings had been built illegally and posed a security risk. Last month, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the buildings violated a construction ban.
Palestinians fear that this will set a precedent for other towns along the route of the barrier which runes for hundreds of kilometres.
In a statement, the European Union said that the structures which contain around 70 apartments, were in areas under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction and that Israel’s demolition policy in occupied territory was illegal under international law.
The EU called on the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the ongoing demolitions.
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