This article was originally published by Ma'an News and is republished with permission.

Palestinians inspect the remains of their home in a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem, after it was demolished by Israeli bulldozers. (Fadi Tanas, Maan Images)

Switzerland accused Israel of war crimes on Thursday, saying its recent resumption of the destruction of Palestinian homes is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Israel has illegally demolished homes near Jerusalem and Ramallah in recent days. Switzerland has demanded that Israel immediately stop the demolitions.

Israel claims the demolitions are removals of unauthorized shacks. A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, told the Associated Press (AP) that removing the homes was "not an arbitrary decision," but one permitted by an Israeli court.

"This demolition of houses was done under a court order," embassy spokeswoman Shlomit Sufa told the AP on Thursday.

But Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Lars Knuchel said the demolitions violated the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which outline an occupying force's rights and responsibilities during wartime.

The Foreign Ministry claimed Israel's house-demolition policy violates the Fourth Convention, which prohibits occupying powers from damaging property belonging to the occupied population.

Since 2000, Israel has destroyed over 600 homes in occupied East Jerusalem - and nearly 2000 in the West Bank - according to a formal protest lodged with the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Switzerland said that, as a neutral country, it "regards the recent incidents as violations of international humanitarian law."

There is "no military need to justify the destruction of these houses," the Foreign Ministry complaint added.