Israeli Forces Demolish Bedouin Village, Leaving Hundreds Homeless
On May 8, Israeli forces demolished the entire Bedouin village of Wadi al-Khalil in the Naqab/Negev desert to expand Route 6, displacing over 300 residents. The village is one of 35 unrecognized Bedouin villages in the region, denying residents basic services and infrastructure.
The demolitions were the largest in 14 years, part of a crackdown by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to assert control over the area. The police cleared the village without resistance, leaving residents like Yousef Abu Issa homeless and disillusioned.
Former Knesset member Taleb el-Sana called the demolitions a “declaration of war,” noting similar incidents in neighboring villages like Al-Araqib and Umm al-Hiran. The residents of Wadi al-Khalil, despite appeals to the Supreme Court, face uncertain future with relocation plans rejected.
‘We have never been opposed to a compromise’
Residents like Suleiman Abu Issa expressed willingness to cooperate but were met with inadequate solutions. Dafna Saporta from planning rights organization Bimkom criticized the lack of dialogue and fair solutions, pointing out the long history of neglect and forced evictions.
The demolitions, attributed to Ben Gvir, reflect a policy of land seizure and control. As residents struggle to rebuild their lives, the government’s heavy-handed tactics have sparked outrage and condemnation.
Original article from Local Call. Read it here.