Rahat: In a disturbing development, to escape the oppression of Israeli occupiers, a Palestinian family demolished his own house. A Palestinian family in the Negev desert has been forcibly displaced by Israeli authorities who, under the pretext of lacking a construction permit, pressured them to demolish their own home. This incident underscores the ongoing land grab policies pursued by the Tel Aviv regime.
According to the Palestinian Information Center, which cited local sources, Israeli troops conducted a raid on Rahat City. During this operation, they surrounded the home owned by the Abu Ghannam family.
Sources on the ground revealed that Israeli forces entered the vicinity of the house and gave the family a mere 10 minutes to evacuate and initiate the demolition process.
Witnesses and local residents confirmed that the Abu Ghannam family had no choice but to demolish their home. The alternative would have been facing exorbitant fees imposed by the municipality for their own demolition crew’s services. The Abu Ghannam family had been living in this house for the past 17 years.
This unfortunate incident is a stark reminder of the constant fear experienced by residents throughout the Negev region. They live in apprehension, knowing that Israeli troops could at any moment raid their homes and bulldoze them once they are rebuilt.
Human rights organizations have accused Tel Aviv of implementing a policy aimed at displacing the indigenous Palestinian population from the Negev region to create space for the expansion of illegal settlements.
Israel routinely justifies the demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds by alleging that these structures lack proper permits. However, it is exceedingly rare for the Israeli regime to grant such permits to Palestinians. In some cases, Israeli forces order Palestinian homeowners to carry out the demolitions themselves or bear the financial burden of the process.
The demolition of Palestinian homes across the occupied territories has become routine. Many of the Israeli cabinet members, particularly figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, continuously encourage racist and fascist ideologies. These individuals openly advocate for the expulsion of Palestinians, support extremist groups that repeatedly target Palestinians, and incite racism against Arabs and non-Jews.
It’s worth noting that more than 700,000 Israelis currently reside in roughly 280 settlements constructed in the occupied West Bank since Israel’s occupation of the territory in 1967. The international community, in line with the Geneva Conventions and international law, considers these settlements illegal.
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories through various resolutions.
