Israel demolishes Al-Araqeeb for 145th time

Israeli occupation forces this morning demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev, south of Israel, for the 145th time, Arab48 reported.

Local witnesses said that Israeli forces raided the village in the morning, protecting bulldozers that demolished the houses of the villagers.

The Israeli occupation police have been preparing for the demolition since Wednesday as they raided the village.

Al-Araqeeb was last demolished just two weeks ago.

Residents are accused of building without licenses and have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the cost of demolition.

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

READ: Israel will free Araqeeb village head, on condition of deportation

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.

Israeli courts decide that the owners of the unlicensed homes must demolish them, but when they fail to do so, Israeli bulldozers carry out the demolitions and the owners are ordered to pay for the bulldozers.

In 1969, Israel called on Arab land owners to register their land with the authorities, but since then they have not accepted any of the applications made by Arab residents of the Negev.