Israel demands Bedouin village pay over $500,000 in demolition costs

The Israeli authorities are demanding that Bedouin villagers in the unrecognised village of Al-Araqib, which has been demolished 100 times, pay NIS 2bn ($516,000), Arab48.com reported on Monday.

The Israeli magistrate’s court in Beer Sheva opened the case on 7 February this year, but the case was adjourned until yesterday.

The allocated sum that the court announced is only the cost of the first eight demolitions. The first time Israel demolished the village was 27 July 2010.

On 29 June 2016, the Israeli forces demolished the village for the 100th time under the pretext of lacking the needed building licenses.

The Israeli authorities do not recognise 51 villages including Al-Araqib in the Negev.