Palestinian village of Al-Araqeeb demolished for 131st time

Israeli occupation forces demolished the village of Al-Araqeeb in the occupied Negev desert for the 131st time today.

“A large number of Israeli police and special units accompanied by bulldozers and representatives of the occupation authorities raided the village and began demolishing its houses,” said Aziz Al-Turi, a resident of Al-Araqeeb.

“I received a message from one of the accompanying inspectors that new methods for demolition and eviction and confiscation of contents will be used this time.”

He pointed out that the last demolition took place on 27 June, pointing out that “the occupation authorities aim, through continuing to demolish the houses of Al-Araqeeb, to push its people to despair, in an effort to displace them from their lands and villages.”

VIDEO: Al-Araqeeb demolished for 130th time

The Palestinian Ministry of Information said the occupation’s demolition of the village “is an Israeli insistence on ethnic cleansing and an application of racism that boasts the so-called nation state law, which helps legitimise aggression and Judaisation.”

“The demolition of the village this many times is unprecedented in human history,” the ministry added.

Located in the Negev desert, Al-Araqeeb is one of 51 Arab villages in the area that the Israeli occupation authorities do not recognise and which has been targeted for demolition ahead of building homes for new Jewish communities.

Israel has imposed fines on the villagers of Al-Araqeeb worth millions of dollars, Quds Press said, and charges them for the use of the Israeli bulldozers which carry out the demolition of their homes.