Israeli Forces Demolish Homes of 250 Bedouins Near Rahat
Translated & summarized from Local Call by baba
Israeli forces demolished approximately 50 structures in the Abu Wadi community near Rahat on Monday, leaving about 250 Bedouin residents homeless. Imam Mohammed Abu Wadi and other residents expressed devastation and accused Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of targeting them. Ben-Gvir later boasted about demolishing thousands of homes, claiming it deters illegal construction. The Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages estimates nearly 20,000 structures have been demolished in the Negev since 2023. Residents are displaced without a satisfactory alternative housing solution.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli forces demolished 50 structures in Abu Wadi, leaving 250 Bedouins homeless.
- Residents accused Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of targeting them before elections.
- Ben-Gvir claimed his ministry has demolished 5,750 homes, calling it effective deterrence.
- Nearly 20,000 structures have been demolished in the Negev since 2023, according to a regional council.
- Residents are displaced without a mutually agreed-upon alternative housing solution.
- The demolitions have cost residents an estimated 280 million shekels since early 2023.
Israeli forces demolished approximately 50 structures in the Abu Wadi community near Rahat on Monday, leaving around 250 Bedouin residents homeless. The demolition, which occurred in the morning, destroyed the entire village, including trees, solar water heaters, and personal belongings, turning the area into rubble. Residents expressed deep distress and anger, with Imam Mohammed Abu Wadi lamenting the destruction of their mosque and questioning the timing before elections. He stated, "You come to destroy, to eliminate me and the children and women? How will I sleep tonight? Where will the children sleep? Everything is destroyed."
One young resident compared the scene to Gaza after a bombing and accused Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of wanting to destroy everything. He added, "We live here together, Jews and Arabs, we don't bother anyone, but Ben-Gvir wants to destroy everything." Another resident whose home was rebuilt after a previous demolition saw it destroyed again.
Minister Ben-Gvir later addressed the demolitions in Tel Aviv, claiming his tenure had resulted in the demolition of 5,750 homes, contrasting it with four homes in the previous term, stating, "This is important, and it deters, and it works." The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages in the Negev estimates that since 2023, around 19,300 structures, including 2,900 homes, have been demolished in the Negev. Official reports from the National Security Ministry indicate 14,280 structures, including 2,155 homes, were demolished between 2023 and the current month.
The Abu Wadi community's demolition occurred before alternative housing solutions were finalized. The Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority offered relocation to neighborhood 10 in Rahat, but residents fear crime and conflicts there, preferring the nearby Al-Kauthar neighborhood. Disagreements also exist over the number of eligible residents, with the community claiming 130 and the authority stating 60, partly due to tightened eligibility criteria. Hisham Abu Wadi, a 30-year-old resident, pleaded for dialogue, stating, "Someone talk to us, give us the rights that are due to us. It's like we have no rights at all... They just tell us: 'Get out of here.'" He described the demolitions as racist and devastating for the children and women.
During the demolition, bulldozers covered a shelter containing puppies with dirt, though residents managed to rescue them. The council estimates that since early 2023, the state has collected at least 280 million shekels from residents for legal representation, demolition, and rebuilding costs.
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