Israeli authorities have destroyed two Palestinian-owned homes in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday amid rapidly escalating violence across Palestine, leading to protests and armed response from Israeli forces.
A bulldozer flanked by military police arrived early in the day in the neighbourhood of Jabal al-Mukabir, and demolished the houses despite pleas from the families and neighbourhood residents.
Young men had poured oil on the surrounding roads in an attempt to stop the demolition vehicles from approaching.
The Israeli occupation authorities alleged that the construction of the houses had been “undertaken without a permit”.
Family members were forced to sit and watch as the house was torn down.
Protests at the demolition site have been ongoing throughout the day - and videos on social media show Israeli forces firing teargas while several fires blaze across the neighbourhood.
The situation in Jabal al-Mukabir is developing rapidly.
The appointment of Israel's new far-right coalition government has accelerated threats to Palestinian homes and livelihoods on several fronts since they took office.
Escalating violence in Palestine began on Thursday where Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in Jenin in a massacre on Thursday.
The deadly massacre was followed by a shooting by a Palestinian outside a synagogue in the settlement of Neve Yaacov in occupied east Jerusalem, which killed seven Israelis, and a second shooting by a Palestinian boy in Jerusalem which wounded two Israelis.