Israel demolishes Palestinian village for the 204th time

Israeli occupation authorities demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb, located in the Negev region, for the 204th time today.

In a statement to Anadolu, Aziz Al-Turi, a member of the Committee for the Defence of Al-Araqeeb, said that the Israeli authorities “stormed the village of Al-Araqeeb and demolished its homes for the 204th time.”

Al-Turi reiterated that the people “will rebuild their village.”

للمرة 204 على التوالي.. قوات الاحتلال تهدم قرية العراقيب في النقب المحتل، صباح اليوم. pic.twitter.com/DMLP6RFw7B

— بدون رقابة (@bedounraqabah) July 19, 2022

The last time the Israeli authorities demolished the homes was at the end of last month.

Houses in Al-Araqeeb are built of wood, plastic and corrugated iron, and are inhabited by 22 families, according to Anadolu.

The Israeli authorities demolished the village for the first time in July 2010, and since then it has been demolished every time the residents rebuild it.

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

READ: Israel destroys water pipelines in occupied West Bank

In a report, Israeli NGO, Zochrot, said Al-Araqeeb was first built under Ottoman rule on land purchased by residents. The organisation stated that the authorities are working to expel the residents of the village, with the aim of controlling their lands, noting that Israel does not recognise dozens of other villages in the Negev region, and refuses to provide them with services.

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. The state has repeatedly refused to connect the towns to the national grid, water supplies and other vital amenities.

Israeli authorities seek to seize control of the lands and expel its residents, with dozens of villages and Bedouin communities facing the same threat in the Negev area, according to Zochrot.