Israel demolishes Palestinian Bedouin village of Al Araqeeb for the 232nd time
Israeli soldiers have once again demolished the village of Arakib, where Palestinian Bedouins live in the Negev Desert in the south of the country, leaving many homeless.
The Tel Aviv administration states that the village was established “illegally”, while the villagers state that the land was inherited from them before the establishment of Israel.
The village of Arakib, where Palestinian Bedouins who are Israeli citizens live, has been demolished by Israeli soldiers for the 232nd time.
Aziz al-Turi, a member of the Arakib Defense Committee, told AA that Israeli soldiers demolished the village for the 232nd time following the raid they carried out.
Stating that Israeli soldiers have demolished the homes of Palestinian Bedouins in Arakib for the 10th time since the beginning of the year, Turi said that Palestinian families are determined to rebuild the village.
More than 80 Palestinian Israeli citizens live in Arakib, a village that Israel first demolished in July 2010.
The Tel Aviv administration claims that the village was “established illegally and must be demolished.” The villagers, however, state that they inherited this land from their ancestors long before the establishment of Israel.
The villagers rebuild their homes after each demolition
The villagers continue their resistance by rebuilding their homes with wood and plastic materials after each demolition by Israeli soldiers.
As in other villages in the Negev region, Israel does not provide Arakib with essential services such as electricity and water, and does not recognize the land ownership of the Palestinians living in the region.
According to Palestinian sources, the Tel Aviv administration has expropriated 11 million acres of the 12 million acres of the Negev Desert, where 220,000 Palestinians live.
