Israeli Regime Razes Palestinian Village for 210th Time

Israeli police forces stormed the village and wreaked havoc on everything, making dozens of Bedouin citizens, including children, homeless again and prone to the harsh weather conditions of the desert for a while, before they could have new make-shift homes again.

It was on November 14 when the Israeli authorities razed the village for the 209th time.

This was the 14th time that the village was demolished since the start of 2022. It was also demolished 14 times in 2021.

Al-Araqeeb residents live in a constant state of fear because they expect the demolition of their village at any moment after they manage to rebuild it. About 22 families made up of 110 people live in Al-Araqeeb.

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

The village was first leveled 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 Naqab desert, the village is one of 51 "unrecognised" Palestinian Arab villages in the area and is constantly targeted for demolition ahead of plans to Judaise the Naqab by building homes for new Jewish communities. Israeli bulldozers, which Bedouins are charged for, demolish everything, from the trees to the water tanks, but Bedouin residents have tried to rebuild it every time.

Bedouins in the Naqab 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.