LONDON: Israeli forces on Wednesday demolished two Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, a city in the southern half of the occupied West Bank.

Husni Issa, deputy mayor of Al-Khader, confirmed that the two homes belonged to brothers Osama and Raed Muhammad Hassan Salah. Each home was 200 sq. m and located in the Ard Al-Deir area, west of Bethlehem.

Issa added that Israeli forces closed off the area and prevented residents from approaching it before demolishing the structures on the grounds that they were built without a permit.

Al-Khader and Bethlehem territories fall within Area C where the Palestinian Authority is in charge of educational and health services, while Israel remains responsible for security and construction.

Israel restricts Palestinians from expanding in Area C, and within occupied East Jerusalem; it rarely grants building permits to the city’s residents. Both Al-Khader and Bethlehem are surrounded by several Israeli settlements, including Efrat, Neve Daniel, Shdema, and Har Homa.