NEGEV, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israeli authorities on Tuesday forced the owners of 20 homes in the unrecognized village of Al-Sirr in the occupied Negev to demolish their own houses, in one of the largest home demolition operations in the region in recent years.
According to local reports, the demolitions targeted homes belonging to members of the Al-Afashq family, who were compelled to carry out the demolitions themselves under pressure from Israeli authorities.
The Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev condemned the measures, describing the policy of self-demolition as a grave violation of the right to housing and stability that further worsens the social and humanitarian conditions of affected families.
The council’s chairman, Atiya Al-A’sam, visited the village and met with members of the Al-Afashq family and local residents to assess the damage. He said the events reflected Israel’s continued policy of demolitions and pressure against Arab communities in the Negev instead of pursuing fair solutions regarding housing, planning rights, and official recognition of these villages.
Al-A’sam described forcing residents to destroy their own homes as a harsh and inhumane practice that deepens the suffering of already marginalized communities.
Amid increasing demolitions and displacement targeting Arab villages in the Negev, the Higher Steering Committee for Negev Arabs, the Forum of Arab Local Authorities in the Negev, and the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages announced a series of protests and public actions to confront the policy.
Organizers postponed the annual Negev Conference, originally scheduled for June 20, until July 4 to focus efforts on supporting affected communities and responding to rapidly developing events on the ground.
The groups also designated June 20 as a day of solidarity with the village of Tel Arad, planning a major gathering to support members of the Al-Nabari tribe and their efforts to defend their right to land, housing, and official recognition of their village.
An emergency meeting of Negev Arab leadership and the Higher Steering Committee is also scheduled to take place in Al-Sirr to discuss further popular and legal steps in response to ongoing demolitions and displacement policies.
Community leaders warned that the developments in Al-Sirr and Tel Arad represent a serious escalation targeting the Arab presence in the Negev and called for broad public mobilization to defend residents’ rights to land, housing, and a dignified life.
The organizations urged widespread participation in upcoming solidarity events, stressing the importance of unity in confronting policies of demolition, displacement, and the erosion of the collective rights of Arab communities in the Negev.
