Negev Desert: Israeli authorities demolished 16 homes in the unrecognized village of al-Sarra, located in the Negev desert within the 1948 territories, on Monday. Hundreds of police officers were deployed to the area, surrounding the homes and preventing residents from approaching the site of the demolition.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Suleiman al-Hawashla, Director General of the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages, stated that the demolitions followed a decision by the Beersheba Court last Thursday, which ordered the demolition of the village's homes and the evacuation of its residents. Al-Hawashla noted that some residents had preemptively demolished their homes themselves.
He highlighted that approximately 1,500 residents of the al-Azazmeh tribe inhabit the village, which lacks essential infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity, sewage networks, schools, and medical facilities. Al-Hawashleh emphasized that these demolitions are part of a broader policy of forced displacement practiced by the Israeli authorities against Palestinians in the 1948 territories, particularly in the Negev. Meanwhile, plans are being announced to establish new settlements in the area.
Sources from the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages indicated that over the next two weeks, more than 200 homes are expected to be demolished in the village of al-Sarra, effectively leading to the complete demolition of the village and the uprooting and displacement of its residents.
