Israeli occupation forces this morning demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev, south of Israel, for the 145th time, Arab48 reported.
Local witnesses said that Israeli forces raided the village in the morning, protecting bulldozers that demolished the houses of the villagers.
Israeli occupation forces demolished early this morning al-Araqeeb village in the Negev desert, south of occupied Palestine, for the 145th time. #IsraeliCrimes pic.twitter.com/4FHEQBwc5c
— Hamas Movement (@HamasInfoEn) May 30, 2019
The Israeli occupation police have been preparing for the demolition since Wednesday as they raided the village.
Al-Araqeeb was last demolished just two weeks ago.
Residents are accused of building without licenses and have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the cost of demolition.
Israel demolishes Al-Araqeeb for 145th times – Middle East Monitor
Posted by RTNBD on Thursday, May 30, 2019
Al-Araqeeb is one of 51 Arab villages in the Negev the Israeli occupation authorities do not recognize and has been targeted for demolition ahead of building homes for new Jewish communities.
Israel has imposed fines on the villagers of Al-Araqeeb worth millions of dollars, Quds Press said and charges them for the use of the Israeli bulldozers which carry out the demolition of their homes.
Al-Araqeeb represents the story of all of Palestine and its people.
— Ramzy Baroud, MEMO https://t.co/Y0K5AJbRFs
— Ramzy Baroud (@RamzyBaroud) October 17, 2017
Israeli courts decide that the owners of the unlicensed homes must demolish them, but when they fail to do so, Israeli bulldozers carry out the demolitions and the owners are ordered to pay for the bulldozers.
In 1969, Israel called on Arab landowners to register their land with the authorities, but since then they have not accepted any of the applications made by Arab residents of the Negev.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
