Palestinian Bedouin families in the village of al-Sarra in the Negev face the threat of forced displacement after Israeli authorities issued notices ordering residents to vacate their land and remove all structures within 30 days.
DaysofPal— Palestinian Bedouin families in the village of al-Sarra in the Negev face the threat of forced displacement after Israeli authorities issued notices ordering residents to vacate their land and remove all structures within 30 days.
The notices, delivered by Israel’s Green Patrol in coordination with the Israel Land Authority, accuse residents of illegally occupying land that Israeli authorities classify as state property.
According to the official notices, residents must dismantle fences and temporary structures, uproot trees they have planted, and restore the land to what Israeli authorities describe as its original condition.
The notices warn that failure to comply could result in legal proceedings, forced removal and demolition, with residents potentially required to cover the costs of enforcement.
Al-Sarra is among dozens of Palestinian Bedouin villages in the Negev that Israel does not officially recognize. Residents of these communities face restrictions on access to basic services, along with recurring threats of home demolitions and displacement.
Palestinian Leaders Reject Displacement Orders
Attiya al-Asam, head of the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev, condemned the notices and said they would not force Palestinian residents to abandon their land.
“These repeated notices and threats will not break the determination of the people of the Negev to remain steadfast,” al-Asam told SAFA.
He described the measures as part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at removing Palestinian Bedouin communities from their land.
Al-Asam accused Israeli authorities of seeking to uproot residents and clear the land of its original inhabitants to advance what he described as policies of forced transfer and ethnic cleansing.
He emphasized that residents remain committed to protecting their homes and land and would not submit to what he called arbitrary decisions.
Warnings of Wider Demolitions and Forced Displacement
Palestinian political activist Juma’a Zabarqa warned that the orders against al-Sarra represent a dangerous escalation in Israeli policies targeting Palestinian communities in the Negev.
“The attack on the village of al-Sarra is a dangerous continuation of the occupation’s policies targeting the Palestinian population in the Negev,” Zabarqa said.
He accused Israeli authorities of intensifying measures against unrecognized Bedouin villages through evacuation orders, home demolitions and restrictions on residents’ ability to remain on their land.
Zabarqa warned that these policies were intended to change the area’s demographics by displacing Palestinian residents and clearing land for military or settlement projects.
He called for coordinated political, community and legal efforts to challenge the orders and protect residents from displacement.
The latest notices have heightened fears among families in al-Sarra that Israeli authorities could launch large-scale demolition operations similar to those reported in other Bedouin communities, including Rakhma, Bir Hadaj, Umm Namila and al-Dahiya.
Zabarqa said the escalating measures reflect an effort to isolate unrecognized villages and deprive their residents of basic living conditions.
He accused Israeli authorities of pursuing policies intended to remove Palestinian communities from the Negev, while emphasizing that residents remain determined to defend their homes and land despite the growing threat of demolition.
For families in al-Sarra, the 30-day deadline has raised the prospect of losing their homes and agricultural property, as residents face pressure to leave land they have long called home.
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