Israel issues demolition orders in Umm Al-Hiran

Arab residents of the Bedouin village of Umm Al-Hiran, located in Wadi Atir area of the Negev desert, received Israeli demolition orders yesterday, Arab48 reported yesterday.

The website said that the demolition orders were issued for the unlicensed houses in the village, which are not recognised by the Israeli occupation.

Speaking to Arab48, the head of the Popular Committee in Umm Al-Hiran Raed Abul-Qi’an said: “This decision comes following a number of orders and arrangements made by the Israeli occupation, which has become a military ruler in the Negev.”

“The demolition orders were issued against a number of houses in the village, but we will stand up together against the Israeli projects planning to force us out of our homes.”

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Abul-Qi’an called for the Israeli side to hold talk with them about three alternative proposed which have been drawn up by the villagers in an effort to counter Israel’s plans for the area.

“Our alternatives are: recognising our village and building a Jewish neighbourhood beside it, building a joint Arab-Jewish neighbourhood or returning us to our original village,” he said.

Residents of Umm Al-Hiran were forced out of Wadi Zubala in the northeast of the city of Rahat in 1956.