Israeli forces attack, injure Palestinian villagers and Arab Member of Knesset in Negev; demolish homes

IMEMC - Salem Abu Mdeighim, field researcher of the Adalah center, stated that a large Israeli police force attacked on Wednesday the residents of al-Araqeeb village in the Negev, and demolished their homes for the second time this week.

The police also attacked the researcher of Adalah along with dozens of residents of the village leading to several injuries, some requiring hospitalization.

Eyewitnesses reported that the police attacked the village with armored jeeps, bulldozers and military vehicles in order to demolish the homes that were rebuilt after being previously demolished by the police.

Yousef Abu Zayed, head of the Committee for Defending al-Araqeeb, stated that the police invaded the village with the intention to demolish the homes, and that this is the second attack since last week as the Israeli police demolished several homes then.

The Higher Follow-up Committee held an urgent meeting in al-Araqeeb unrecognized village last week and decided to rebuild all leveled homes and to challenge the illegal Israeli measures against the Arab villages in the Negev.

Hundreds of residents gathered in the village and protested against the Israeli policies that target all Arab residents in the Negev.

The Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev stated that the demolishing of some 20 homes in al-Araqeeb is a crime against humanity.

The council added that attacking the residents, including the head of the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages, and Arab member of Knesset, Talab al-Sane’, are part of the ongoing Israeli violations against the Arab and Bedouin residents in the country.

It is worth mentioning that Al Sane’ was violently attacked by the Israeli police and lost consciousness before he was moved to Soroka hospital in Be’er Seva.

The police also kidnapped seven other residents, including residents who came from other area to show solidarity with the village.