Israel demolishes Araqeeb village in Negev for 120th time

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Wednesday demolished the "unrecognized" Bedouin village of al Araqeeb in the Naqab desert for 120th time.

The Israel Land Authority accompanied by Israeli police and bulldozers this morning broke into the village and demolished the metal shelters residents rebuild every time their village is demolished.

The village is one of 35 Bedouin villages considered “unrecognized” by the Israeli government, and was first demolished in 2010.

According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), more than half of the approximately 160,000 Naqab Bedouins reside in unrecognized villages, which the state refuses to provide with a planning structure and place under municipal jurisdiction, WAFA said.

ACRI said the Israeli government uses a variety of measures to pressure Bedouins into relocating to government-planned urban centers that disregard their lifestyle and needs.

Source:  MENA