Israel razes Palestinian village for 207th time

According to local sources, Israeli police forces and employees from the Bedouin Development Authority — which is responsible for such demolitions — stormed the village and wreaked havoc on everything.

Consequently, dozens of Bedouin citizens, including children, have become homeless again and will suffer from the harsh weather conditions of the desert for a while, before they could have new make-shift homes again.

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

The village was first levelled 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 Negev (Naqab) desert, the village is one of 51 "unrecognised" Arab villages in the area and is constantly targeted for demolition ahead of plans to Judaise the Negev, 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 Negev 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.