Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
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منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية

Five houses demolished in Saʿwah: the day after in photos

23.02.2015

A day after the demolition of five houses at the Bedouin unrecognized village of Saʿwah, located near the Bedouin town of Ḥūrah, residents tell about the ongoing demolitions that take place with no solution provided by the state. Yesterday (Monday), a large convoy of bulldozers, Israeli Land Administration inspectors and police vehicles arrived at the village in order to demolish five houses. With the end of the demolition, the forces left the area, leaving the homeowners and their families homeless. Last month, residents demolished seven houses on their own, following threats made by state authorities saying that if residents will not demolish, they will send forces to do it.

The residents of Saʿwah have been negotiating with state authorities for years now, striving to find a solution that is yet to be found. Despite this, the state of Israel still enforce its house demolition policy in the village. While in the 1950s, the residents were removed to this area by the military regime, in 2000 it was declared a military zone where people cannot reside.