Israel has demolished more than 500 structures in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
In a statement, the UN office said 506 buildings were razed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, on the pretext of lacking a building permit.
According to the statement, a total of 134 structures were demolished in east Jerusalem.
OCHA said Israeli forces brought down 22 buildings over the past two weeks, causing the displacement of 50 Palestinians and causing harms to around 200 others.
Eight demolitions out of 12 in East Jerusalem were carried out by the owners themselves in order to avoid fines and fees imposed by Israeli authorities.
The other 10 demolished structures were located in Area C, which accounts for around 60 percent of the West Bank territory.
Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick recently said that unlawful demolitions in the West Bank spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Israeli authorities indicated that they would restrain their longstanding policy of demolishing inhabited Palestinian homes. Sadly, demolitions during the period March-August 2020 left 442 Palestinians homeless, further exposing many to risks associated with the pandemic,” he said.
“In August alone, 205 people were displaced, more than in any other single month since January 2017,” he added.