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by IMEMC News & Agencies

Israeli forces demolished over 30 agricultural structures in the northern Jordan Valley on Thursday morning, local officials said.

Israeli bulldozers protected by military vehicles stormed an area known locally as Diraa Awwad near the Israeli military checkpoint Hamra, east of Nablus, Ma'an reports.

Bulldozers then demolished the structures including tents, barns, farmland, and water tanks belonging to Palestinian families, said Muataz Bisharat, an official from the governor's office in Tubas.

The Israeli forces "demolished almost the whole area," he explained, allegedly because the structures were built without a license. The structures belonged to locals Adnan Abd al-Mahdi Salamin, his brother Adil, Kayid Ghayyath, Nidhal Yousif Abu Awwad and his brother Nidham.

The area was declared a closed military zone.

The Israeli Civil Administration confirmed 12 structures had been demolished in the area.

In an emailed statement, it said that security forces carried out the demolition of 12 "illegal structures which were built without the necessary permits in Tamoun."

"The buildings were demolished after the enforcement process was completed and demolition orders were delivered. We would like to note that the owners didn't submit requests for building permits at the site."

The Jordan Valley accounts for nearly a third of the land in the occupied West Bank, although 90 percent of it is designated as "Area C" meaning it is under full Israeli control and Palestinian use of the land is severely restricted.

Aside from the land taken up by 39 Israeli settlements and nine illegal outposts, huge swathes of the territory have been declared military firing zones and therefore are off-limits to Palestinians.