AL-QUDS 

Israeli municipal authorities on Wednesday demolished two Palestinian homes in the city of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem), eyewitnesses said.

"Israeli soldiers and police backed by bulldozers arrived at the Sur Baher neighborhood in the early hours of Wednesday and partially demolished a house… that had been home to four people," an eyewitness told Anadolu Agency.

A similar scene played out in the city's Wadi al-Dam neighborhood when Israeli forces surrounded a home in which eight people had been living before demolishing it shortly afterward.

"Israeli forces arrived at the site and demolished the house without giving any prior notice," an eyewitness said.

For years, the self-proclaimed Jewish state has systematically demolished Palestinian homes in Al-Quds on grounds that the structures lack official permits.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israeli authorities demolished more than 500 Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Al-Quds last year alone.

Israeli municipal authorities also impose tight restrictions on the renovation of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, according to local residents.

Sacred to both Muslims and Jews, Jerusalem's Old City is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which for Muslims represents the world's third holiest site. Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.

Palestinians accuse Israel of waging an aggressive campaign to "Judaize" the holy city with the aim of effacing its Arab and Islamic identity.

By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout

englishnews@aa.com.tr