More than 100 Palestinians Arrested by “Israeli” Forces in Al-Naqab

By Staff, Agencies

More than 100 Palestinians have been arrested by “Israeli” forces during recent clashes in Al-Naqab [Negev] desert, as the Palestinian residents of the region face a forced eviction drive by the apartheid entity.

The mass arrests occurred during Tel Aviv’s crackdown on protests staged in reaction to a much-condemned campaign of demolition and razing of Palestinian’s farmlands in al-Naqab, the Palestinian Information Center said on Sunday.

The report said an “Israeli” court extended the detention of more than 50 of those arrested and released the rest to be placed under house arrest, while appeals lodged by “Israeli” police and lawyers representing the citizens are being studied by courts.

Tensions grew in al-Naqab on Monday after diggers and bulldozers razed some Bedouin farming lands as part of a controversial tree planting program.

In recent days, hundreds of Palestinians have held protest rallies in al-Naqab, condemning the “Israeli” eviction plot under the guise of a forestation work, but the demonstrations have been met with a brutal crackdown by “Israeli” police units, which use rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, stun grenades, as well as skunk water to disperse protesters.

On Thursday, in particular, hundreds of local Arabs in al-Naqab held demonstrations against confiscation of their lands.