Al-Huzayl: The Negev faces a plan to uproot its population and replace their villages with settlements

The Negev - Ofoq News - Dr. Amer Al-Huzail, Deputy Mayor of Rahat in the Negev, warned of an unprecedented escalation in home demolitions and the targeting of Arab communities in the Negev region, stressing that what is happening in the village of Al-Dahia, north of the city of Rahat, goes beyond the limits of individual demolitions, to form, according to his description, part of a broader Israeli plan aimed at uprooting Palestinian residents from their lands and emptying Arab villages of their residents, in preparation for establishing settlements on their ruins.

Al-Huzayel revealed tragic scenes experienced by dozens of families in the village of Al-Dahia, after Israeli bulldozers began demolishing the homes of the Abu Wadi family, leaving about 40 to 50 families without shelter, at a time when demolition operations continue amid an intense deployment of Israeli police forces, which threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian and social crisis that the residents of the village are experiencing.

Al-Huzayel’s statements came during an interview on the “Talat Sabah” program, presented by journalist Adel Gharib, and broadcast on Ma’an TV, Ma’an Radio Network, and Radio Al-Raba’a, which dealt with field developments in the Negev, the repercussions of the demolitions on the population, in addition to Israeli policies towards unrecognized Arab villages, and the future of the Palestinian presence in the region.

Demolition bulldozers storm the victim's village... and dozens of families lose their homes

In the details of the field scene, Al-Huzail explained that the village of Al-Dhahiyah, located north of the city of Rahat and inhabited by about a thousand people, is witnessing massive demolition operations targeting an entire residential neighborhood inhabited by the Abu Wadi family, noting that bulldozers and trucks continue their work to demolish homes, amid an intense Israeli security presence.

He said that about 50 families were left in the open, without homes or shelter to protect their members, stressing that the demolition operations had not stopped until the moment he spoke, and that the extent of the destruction inflicted on the homes left the families facing an extremely difficult humanitarian reality.

Al-Huzayel described the scene as “catastrophic,” considering that what is happening reflects a clear escalation in targeting the Arab presence in the Negev, especially since the demolition operations have become, in his estimation, more widespread and accelerated than previous periods.

He pointed out that Israeli police forces came to the area, heavily armed and equipped with crowd dispersal means, including tear gas bombs, while bulldozers continued to demolish homes.

He considered that the size of the force used in the demolition operations reflects the nature of the security dealings with the residents, even though the issue concerns civilian families seeking to preserve their homes and stability.

“Children went to school while their homes were standing...and they will return to find destruction.”

One of the most humane scenes that Al-Huzail stopped at was the fate of the children who left their homes in the morning to head to their schools, before the demolition operations that affected their families’ homes began.

He explained that these children left their homes naturally and took school buses to continue their education, but they would return to find their homes turned into rubble, without a place to return to or a shelter to bring them together with their families.

Al-Huzayel wondered about the extent of the psychological and social trauma that children could be exposed to as a result of losing their homes in this way, stressing that the repercussions of demolition are not limited to the destruction of buildings, but rather extend to the dismantling of family stability, and threatening the lives of children and their educational and social future.

He pointed out that the scenes of families losing their homes and their children facing the reality of displacement reflect the depth of the human tragedy experienced by the Arab communities in the Negev.

Al-Husayn: The plan does not target homes alone, but rather the entire existence of the village

Speaking about the background of the demolition operations, Al-Huzayel accused the Israeli authorities of seeking to completely remove the victim’s village, considering that targeting the homes of the Abu Wadi family represents a stage within a broader plan to evacuate the area of ​​its Arab residents.

He said that the goal, in his view, is not limited to demolishing a number of homes or addressing building violations, but rather extends to destroying the village and establishing a settlement in its place.

He stressed that these plans are not new, but rather fall within Israeli policies that have been ongoing for decades to reshape the demographic and geographical reality in the Negev.

Al-Huzail linked what is happening in the Negev to the developments taking place in the West Bank, considering that the policies followed in the two regions intersect in their goals, despite the difference in legal and administrative circumstances.

He added that the Israeli authorities, in his estimation, are seeking to Judaize the West Bank on the one hand, and to Judaize the Negev on the other hand, using different tools to achieve similar goals related to land and population presence.

Thousands of homes are demolished annually... and there are warnings of the expansion of uprooting operations

Al-Huzayel revealed numbers that he described as worrying regarding the scale of demolitions in the Negev, noting that the number of homes exposed to demolition annually ranges, according to his estimates, between 5,000 and 7,000 homes.

He explained that this scale of demolition operations is equivalent, in terms of the number of homes, to the removal of dozens of small residential communities similar to the victim’s village.

He considered that the continuation of this policy at high rates would lead to the accumulation of housing, social and humanitarian crises, especially in light of the limited alternatives available to families who lose their homes.

He stressed that the demolition operations did not begin with the current Israeli government, but rather go back to accumulated policies followed by successive governments. However, he believes that the current stage is witnessing a qualitative escalation in the pace of their implementation.

He accused the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, with the participation of Itamar Ben Gvir, of expanding the scope of measures targeting Arab communities, considering that the recent developments reflect a transition to a more severe stage in dealing with the issue of land and housing in the Negev.

The Israeli judiciary did not prevent the demolition... and Al-Huzail doubts the feasibility of the legal path

In his response to journalist Adel Gharib’s question about the possibility of resorting to courts or human rights institutions to issue decisions to stop demolitions, Al-Huzayel expressed clear pessimism about the ability of the judicial process to protect residents’ homes.

He pointed out that the people of the region had previously resorted to the Israeli courts, but these measures did not, according to him, bring justice to them or prevent the demolition of their homes.

He explained that some judicial rulings ended in approving demolition operations, which increased residents’ feelings of the blockage of legal options available to them.

Al-Huzayel criticized the performance of the Israeli judicial system in dealing with housing and land issues in the Negev, considering that it did not provide the required protection for families threatened with losing their homes.

In the same context, he compared the conditions of the population in the Negev and the attacks on property and lands that Palestinians are exposed to in the West Bank, considering that the problem goes beyond field procedures to the nature of the policies adopted towards the Palestinians.

“They demolish and we build.” But tents have become the only alternative

In light of the continuing demolition operations, Al-Huzail revealed community trends to launch a donation campaign and urgent assistance to the families who lost their homes in the victim’s village.

He explained that residents cling to the slogan, “They demolish, we build,” but the current reality does not allow them to rebuild homes normally, which prompts them to search for temporary solutions, most notably erecting tents to shelter affected families.

He pointed out that local efforts will depend on community solidarity, collecting donations, and providing assistance to families who have become homeless, in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the demolition and secure the minimum humanitarian needs.

He stressed that families being forced to live in tents inside their villages, after losing their homes, reflects the scale of the crisis facing the population, and raises serious questions about the future of Arab communities in the Negev in light of the continuing demolitions.

The Negev and the extension of the Nakba... Al-Hujail: What is happening today is not an isolated event

In a historical and political reading of the developments, Al-Huzayel considered that what is happening in the Negev represents an extension of a long path of Israeli policies targeting the Palestinian presence since 1948.

He said that the Palestinians in the 1948 areas, especially in the Negev, are living, as he put it, “nakba after nakba,” as a result of the continued demolition and uprooting operations and the non-recognition of a number of Arab residential communities.

He added that the demolition of the Abu Wadi family's homes in the victim's village constitutes, from his point of view, a new form of the ongoing suffering that residents have been experiencing for decades.

Al-Huzayel refused to portray the relationship between Arab citizens and previous Israeli governments as a relationship of stability and complete equality, pointing out that, according to him, successive governments practiced policies of demolition and non-recognition of Arab communities.

He considered that the main difference between Israeli governments is the level of escalation and the speed of policy implementation, and not necessarily the goals related to land and settlement expansion.

In this context, Al-Huzayel used the description of “ethnic cleansing” to express his reading of what is happening in the Negev, and compared the scenes of demolition and displacement in the victim’s village to the destruction and displacement witnessed in the Gaza Strip, considering that the common denominator is families losing their homes and being forced to search for alternative shelter.

Warnings of deepening the rift between Arab citizens and Israeli institutions

The interview touched on the political and social repercussions of the demolitions, and the extent of their impact on the relationship of Arab citizens with Israeli institutions.

In this context, journalist Adel Gharib raised questions regarding warnings about the possibility that the policies of the current Israeli government could lead to deepening internal tension, not only in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but also within Arab cities and towns in the 1948 areas.

This came in the context of talking about the impact that scenes of demolition can have on emerging generations, especially children who watch their homes being destroyed by the Israeli authorities.

Al-Huzayel responded by stressing that the suffering of the Palestinians did not begin during the last three years, considering that Israeli policies towards them have been going on for decades, although their severity has varied from one stage to another.

He pointed out that the continuation of demolitions and the lack of recognition of Arab communities contribute to deepening the feeling of lack of security and stability among the population, and increase the intensity of social and political tensions.

Israeli elections.. “We choose between bad and worse”

In the political part of the interview, Al-Huzail addressed the issue of Arab citizens’ participation in the upcoming Israeli elections, and the extent to which the demolition operations could affect their electoral orientations.

He stressed that the escalation of Israeli measures does not necessarily mean a trend towards boycotting the elections, but rather he believed that strengthening Arab representation in the Knesset may provide Arab parties with greater space to influence political decisions.

He pointed out the importance of unifying the positions of Arab parties and increasing their parliamentary representation, as this is one of the political paths available to deal with government policies.

However, Al-Huzail expressed his pessimism about the ability of any Israeli government change to radically end the demolitions.

He said that the political options presented to Arab citizens put them, as he put it, before choosing “between bad and worse,” or “between bitter and worse.”

He explained that he does not expect demolitions to stop completely with the formation of a new Israeli government, considering that the policies related to the Negev and Galilee go back to old plans that extend beyond the lifespan of successive governments and political coalitions.

He stressed that these plans, in his estimation, are linked to long-term trends to reshape the geographical and demographic reality in the Arab regions.

From the housing crisis to the threat to existence...an unknown future for the victim's families

The statements made by Al-Huzayel reflect the growing concern among the Arab residents of the Negev about the future of their villages and homes, in light of the continuing demolition operations and the absence of permanent housing solutions for the affected families.

In the victim’s village, the issue was no longer limited to the loss of homes, but rather extended to the fate of dozens of families who lost their stability, and children who now face a different reality after their homes turned into rubble.

While community efforts are turning to collecting donations and setting up tents to provide temporary shelter for those affected, questions regarding the residents’ rights to housing and land, and the future of Arab villages, remain open in light of the ongoing dispute between the Israeli authorities and the people regarding construction, planning, and recognition of residential communities.

Conclusion: Bulldozers demolish homes and open questions about the fate of the Negev

At the conclusion of his speech, Al-Huzail stressed that what the victim village is witnessing cannot be separated from the general reality experienced by the Arab communities in the Negev, considering that the ongoing demolitions represent a direct threat to the stability of the residents and their future presence on their lands.

He warned that the continuation of these policies, regardless of the identity of the next Israeli government, will leave thousands of families vulnerable to losing their homes, unless the roots of the crisis related to planning and recognition of villages and residents’ rights to housing and land are addressed.