Israeli troops, accompanied by bulldozers, began demolishing homes in the Palestinian village of Sur Baher on Monday.

Residents of the village’s Wadi al-Hummus neighbourhood told local media that 16 residential buildings, which hold about 100 apartments, were targeted.

The Israeli military considers the homes, which are close to an Israeli separation wall that crisscrosses the occupied West Bank, a security risk.

The Israeli Supreme Court ended a seven-year legal battle when it ruled in favour of the military last month, and set Monday as the deadline to knock down the homes. Palestinians say the move sets a precedent for other towns along the route of the barrier, which runs for hundreds of kilometres around and through the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians accuse Israel of using “security” as a pretext to force them out of the area as part of long-term efforts to expand illegal settlements.

All settlements on occupied Palestinian lands are illegal under international law.

The European Union issued a statement saying: “The continuation of this policy undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace.”

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s internal security minister, accused the EU of buying into “the lies of the Palestinians”.