NEGEV (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Israeli authorities demolished on Wednesday morning 47 Palestinian houses in the Wadi al-Khalil area near Umm Batin village, north of the Negev desert.
According to local sources, the houses belonged to the Abu Asa family in the Negev desert, whose members clashed with Israeli police officers who protected the bulldozers.
Police officers reportedly assaulted members of the Abu Asa family as they tried to prevent the demolition of their homes.
This was the largest Israeli demolition campaign in one day in several years in the Negev area, according to the Higher Steering Committee of the Negev Arabs.
The Committee said that these demolitions were carried out at the behest of far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Amichai Chikli, accusing them of seeking to ignite the Negev area to deepen racial discrimination.
“The Israeli authorities are trying to force the Abu Asa family to move to another place under threat and intimidation to expand Road 60 southwards, but they refuse and insist on living in an agreed-upon neighborhood in Tel as-Sabi town,” the Committee added.
