Israel destroyed 18 Arab houses in the Negev last week

The Israeli interior ministry yesterday announced that it destroyed 18 Arab houses in the Negev Desert last week, PLS48.net reported.

In a statement, the ministry said that it supervised the destruction of the houses in cooperation with the National Jewish Fund.

The ministry added that the destruction took place in the neighbourhoods of Kseefah, Um-Bteen, Al-Atrash and Sa’wah.

One of the houses in Kseefah, the ministry said, was destroyed by its owner after he received a demolition order from the ministry.

Palestinians and Arabs often destroy their homes themselves when they receive such orders because if they do not, they are forced to foot the bill for the destruction by the government.

This is part of Israel’s increased campaign to demolish Arab buildings in the Negev. The properties were destroyed under the pretext that they had no construction licences.