Days of Palestine – Naqab

Israeli occupation forces demolished Tuesday the Arab village of Al-Araqib, in the Naqab region south of occupied Palestine, for the 204th time in a row.

In a statement, Aziz Al-Turi, a member of the Local Committee for the Defense of Al-Araqib (civility), said that the Israeli occupation authorities invaded the Palestinian village of Al-Araqib and demolished its homes for the 204th time.

Al-Turi reiterated that the people will rebuild their village.

The Israeli occupation authorities demolished the village homes for the last time at the end of last month.

Al-Araqib houses are built of wood, plastic, and tin, and are inhabited by 22 Palestine families, according to local sources.

The Israeli occupation authorities demolished the village for the first time, in July 2010, and since then it has been demolished every time the residents rebuild it.

The Israeli occupation government does not recognize the village of Al-Araqib, but its residents insist on remaining on their land despite its repeated demolition of it.

In a previous report, the Zochrot organization, which includes Israeli activists (Jews and Arabs) and chronicles the Palestinian Nakba in 1948, said that Al-Araqib was built for the first time during the Ottoman rule on lands purchased by residents.

The organization stated that the authorities are working to expel the residents of the village, with the aim of controlling their lands, noting that Israel does not recognize dozens of other villages in the Negev region, and refuses to provide any services to them.