World Bulletin/News Desk

Israeli bulldozers early Tuesday demolished three houses owned by Palestinian families in Al-Tur neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, the owner of one of the three buildings said.

According to Khader al-Zeraei, a large Israeli force raided the three houses in the early hours of the morning and began razing the houses immediately. The Israeli bulldozers also demolished two livestock barns nearby.

"The Israeli bulldozers razed the houses without any demolition warning. They even did not let us take anything out of the house," al-Zeraei told Anadolu Agency.

"The three houses built in 1985 on an area of 330 square meters were the only shelter for 24 people, including children and elderly people," he added. "Winter started with no shelter for my family," he lamented.

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli authorities demolished more than 406 Palestinian homes, leaving 709 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the beginning of the year.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the city of Jerusalem in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state  – a move never recognized by the international community.

Sacred to both Muslims and Jews, Jerusalem is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which for Muslims represents the world's third holiest site. Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories," considering all Jewish settlement building on the land illegal.

Palestinians also complain that Israeli municipal authorities impose tight restrictions on the building and renovation of Palestinian homes in the holy city.