Israeli forces began demolishing a number of Palestinian homes on the outskirts of East Jerusalem on Monday despite protests and international criticism. Hundreds of Israeli troops and police officers accompanied by bulldozers arrived before dawn at the Wadi al-Hummos area in Sur Baher, a Palestinian neighbourhood between East Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Residents said they had been given permits to build by the Palestinian Authority and accused Israel of an attempt to grab West Bank land, the BBC reported. (IANS)