Occupied Jerusalem: Israel denied 94 per cent of the building permit requests West Bank Palestinians submitted over the past seven years, the anti-colonisation Peace Now group reported yesterday.

In all, 91 of 1,624 requested permits were approved, Peace Now said.

By contrast, 18,472 apartments and homes were built between 2000 and September 2007 in Jewish West Bank colonies, the group said, citing Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.

Military officials in the West Bank responsible for construction said the figures were distorted.

Peace Now also said the army demolished 33 per cent of the 4,993 cases of illegal Palestinian construction against which it issued demolition orders.

By contrast, seven per cent of the 2,900 cases of illegal coloniser construction that drew demolition orders were torn down, the group said.