Israel demolishes Palestinian village of Al-Araqeeb for 216th time

Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished the Palestinian Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb in the southern Negev region for the 216th time, Anadolu reported.

The Israeli occupation forces stormed the village and razed it, Aziz Al-Touri, a member of the Committee for the Defence of Al-Araqeeb, said.

Al-Touri stressed that the residents of the village are determined to rebuild their homes, as they do after every demolition.

Homes in Al-Araqeeb, which are inhabited by 22 Palestinian families, are made of wood, plastic and corrugated iron.

The village was first destroyed in 2010. Israeli occupation authorities claim it Is located on “state land”.

Zochrot, an Israeli NGO based in Tel Aviv, said in a recent report that Al-Araqeeb was first built during the Ottoman era and its land was purchased by its residents, Anadolu reported.

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

An estimated 80,000 Bedouin Palestinians, who carry Israeli citizenship, live in several Negev communities, which are denied vital services, including water, electricity and educational facilities.

WATCH: Israel demolishes Palestine Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb for 212th time