Israeli occupation forces on Thursday demolished two Palestinian homes in Masafer Yatta, in the south of the occupied West Bank, under the pretext they were built without a permit, according to a local source.

Coordinator of the Popular Committees against the Wall and Settlements in the south of the West Bank, Rateb Jabour, was quoted by WAFA News Agency as stating that Israeli forces raided several areas in Masafer Yatta and demolished two 80-square-meter residential structures in al-Mafqara and in Rakiz hamlets.

Local activist Fouad Amour also said the Israeli army bulldozers demolished two animal barns in Saffi hamlet in Masafer Yatta.

Masafer Yatta is classified as Area C, which is under full Israeli military control. Area C makes up around 60 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank, which Israel plans to annex after expelling its Palestinian population. Getting an Israeli building permit in Area C is almost impossible, as confirmed by many human rights organizations.

Human rights group B’Tselem says international humanitarian law stipulates that the people who have been living in occupied territory before its occupation are considered “protected persons” and may not be exposed to mass punishment or violence, their private property may not be confiscated, their dignity may not be violated, and they may not be expelled from their homes.