Palestinian leader accuses Ben-Gvir of leading collective punishment in Negev

Talab al-Sana, head of the Higher Steering Committee for Arab Citizens of the Negev, has said that raids and arrests in the village of al-Tarabin in the occupied Negev are part of what he described as an election-driven and retaliatory campaign led by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

In a press statement issued on Monday, al-Sana said the Israeli authorities are justifying the arrests by claiming residents were responding to attacks by settlers. He rejected this explanation, saying the measures amount to a “frenzied” campaign of collective punishment targeting the village’s population.

Al-Sana described Ben-Gvir as a “minister of gangs”, accusing him of failing to provide security at a time when crime is widespread inside Israel, which he said exposes the ineffectiveness of the minister’s escalating policies.

He said Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas during clashes that erupted overnight, prior to Ben-Gvir’s arrival in the village. He warned that the escalation has heightened tensions and poses a serious threat to the safety of residents.

Residents of Tarabin al-Sana’, a Palestinian village in the occupied Negev, say the area has been placed under siege, with road closures, extensive raids, attacks on homes and tents, and arrests. They described the measures as retaliation by the Israeli army for the community’s mobilisation to confront settler attacks.

Al-Sana said the ongoing operations reflect a broader policy of incitement and repression against Palestinians in the Negev, and warned that continued collective punishment would only deepen instability and injustice in the region.