Al-Naqab Resists: ‘Israeli’ Occupation Forces Arrest 41 Palestinians As Protests Rage On

By Staff, Agencies

As al-Naqab resistance grows, the ‘Israeli’ occupation regime’s forces keep up their crackdown on ongoing protests in the desert area in the south of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Tensions grew in al-Naqab early last week as diggers and bulldozers of the so-called Jewish National Fund [JNF] razed some Bedouin farming lands there in the course of the alleged controversial tree planting program or afforestation. The provocative move triggered large rallies, which met with brutal crackdown and mass arrests.

Reporting on Tuesday, the Palestine Today TV channel said the forces had rounded up at least 41 Palestinians, in their most recent bout of coming down hard on the rallies.

According to the channel, the arrestees included some minors.

The victims were rounded up from the villages of al-Zarnouq, Abu Talool, Khashm al-Zina, and Tel al-Sabe in Negev, Middle East Eye reported, adding that the youngest of the captives “is only 10 years old.”

A rights group urged the occupying regime to stop its “life-threatening crackdown” on the protest rallies.

The Zionist occupation forces endangered the lives of protesters by using rubber-coated bullets, teargas, stun grenades, as well as skunk water, and used drones to drop teargas grenades on the protesters.

Around 300,000 Palestinians live in the desert area.