Israeli Authorities Demolish Al-Araqib for the 245th Time

SadaNews - For the 245th consecutive time, Israeli authorities' vehicles stormed the village of Al-Araqib in the Negev region, southern Israel, this morning, Monday, demolishing the homes and tents of the residents, leaving families exposed outdoors in the face of extreme heat.

The demolition was carried out under the protection of police and associated forces, as part of a continuous policy targeting the village's recognition, seeking to uproot its indigenous inhabitants and displace them from their land despite their insistence on staying and reconstructing their homes and tents after each demolition.

Aziz Siyah Al-Touri, one of the members and activists of the village, stated that the demolition forces, supported by a number of police officers, raided the village this morning and began demolishing the residences and tents of the residents.

This is the first time this year, 2026, that Israeli authorities have demolished the tents and modest homes that shelter the people of Al-Araqib, after demolishing them 10 times in the previous year, 2025, and 11 times in both 2024 and 2023, and 15 times in 2022, and 14 times in 2021, in their repeated attempts to push the villagers into frustration and despair, seeking to displace them from their land.

The first demolition of Al-Araqib by Israeli authorities occurred on July 27, 2010, and the last demolition took place on December 24, 2025.

Commitment to the Land Despite Demolition and Persecution

Despite the repeated demolition operations, the residents of Al-Araqib continue to hold onto their land and reject the displacement plans, rebuilding their simple homes and tents after each demolition, using wood and plastic covers to provide at least minimal shelter against severe weather conditions in summer and winter.

Residents assert that the repeated incursions carried out by Israeli authorities, alongside the demolitions and persecution, will not succeed in breaking their will or pushing them to leave their land. They also point out that the forces affiliated with the "Yoav" unit and what is known as the "Israeli Land Authority" continue to repeatedly raid the village, resulting in the displacement of families and inflicting further suffering on children, women, and the elderly.

In light of these policies, the residents of Al-Araqib appeal to the Arab public and human rights and humanitarian forces to stand by them and support their struggle against attempts of uprooting and displacement.

Ongoing Persecution and Harsh Policies

The pressures are not limited to demolition operations but also include campaigns of pursuit, arrest, and exorbitant financial fines imposed on the residents of the village, including Sheikh Siyah Al-Touri, several of his family members, and activists from the area, under the pretext of building without permission or using land that authorities claim ownership of.

Residents affirm that these measures are part of a policy aimed at pushing them towards forced displacement, through demolishing homes, uprooting agricultural land, and limiting grazing and livestock rearing options, while authorities refuse to recognize their historical rights to the land.

Resistance of Al-Araqib and the Suffering of Unrecognized Villages

Today, Al-Araqib houses 22 families, numbering around 86 individuals, who rely primarily on agriculture and livestock raising. Despite decades of struggle over the land, residents managed to prove ownership of part of their land through legal procedures in the 1970s.

The suffering of Al-Araqib comes in a broader context faced by unrecognized Arab villages in the Negev, enduring continuous demolition and constriction policies amid a severe shortage of basic services and infrastructure, exacerbating the humanitarian situations of the residents and deepening the gaps between them and Jewish communities in the area.

Source: Arabs 48