Israeli authorities demolish Arab village in Negev for 93rd time

Israeli bulldozers yesterday demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqib for the 93rd time under the pretext that the buildings were constructed without the necessary licences, Quds Press reported.

Village Chief Aziz Al-Turi said: “Israeli bulldozers, escorted by a huge number of Israeli special forces and police, stormed the village on Tuesday at dawn, forcing Arab families out of their homes and demolishing them.”

He said: “Families from the village, including women and children, are now out in the open despite the cold and wet weather.”

Al-Turi reiterated that the residents of the village will never leave it and they are ready to rebuild it, noting that the Israeli authorities plan to replace the Arab village with a Jewish settlement.

Al-Araqib is one of 51 Arab villages in Negev which Israeli authorities do not recognise and have been continuously demolishing. Israeli authorities have been building five Jewish settlement compounds across the Negev.

The 400 residents of the village say they lived in the area decades before the formation of the State of Israel and the occupation of Palestine.