Israel demolishes Palestinian village for 188th time

Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished the Bedouin Palestinian village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev for the 188th times, Arab48 reported.

The demolition also marks the seventh time that the village has been razed so far this year, and the thirteenth since the outbreak of coronavirus.

The village was first levelled in July 2010, and every time the residents of Al-Araqeeb rebuild their tents and small homes, occupation forces return to raze them, sometimes several times in a month.

Located in the Negev (Naqab) desert, the village is one of 51 “unrecognised” Arab villages in the area and is constantly targeted for demolition ahead of plans to Judaise the Negev by building homes for new Jewish communities. Israeli bulldozers, which Bedouins are charged for, have demolished everything, from the trees to the water tanks, but Bedouin residents have tried to rebuild it every time.

Bedouins in the Negev must abide by the same laws as Jewish Israeli citizens. They pay taxes but do not enjoy the same rights and services as Jews in Israel and the state has repeatedly refused to connect the towns to the national grid, water supplies, and other vital amenities.

READ: Israel issues 13 demolition orders to Palestinian homes in West Bank