Israel demolishes Palestinian homes near West Bank barrier

Israeli forces demolished a cluster of Palestinian homes near a military barrier on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday. Israel said the 10 apartment buildings had been built illegally and posed a security risk to Israeli armed forces operating along the barrier that runs through the occupied West Bank. U.N. officials said 17 Palestinians faced displacement.

Palestinians fear that the razing of buildings near what Israel describes as a security barrier against Palestinian attacks will set a precedent for other towns along its route, which snakes through the West Bank for hundreds of kilometres. The demolition is part of the latest round of protracted wrangling over the future of Jerusalem, home to more than 500,000 Israelis and 300,000 Palestinians.