Israel orders Palestinians in Negev to remove protest tent

Israeli authorities have sent a notice to Palestinians in the Negev ( also known as Al-Naqab) desert to remove a tent that they set up to protest demolitions.

The authorities on Tuesday handed a notice to the Hazil tribe living in the community of Khirbet Hazil, north of the Negev city of Rahat to tear down the tent, official Palestinian media reported on Tuesday, as protests against demolitions of property belonging to Palestinian communities continue.

The land being cleared will be used for an afforestation project by the controversial Jewish National Fund (JNF). One village which will be especially affected is Sa'wa Al-Atrash.

The Israeli Land Authority assigned some 1,300,000 square metres of land belonging to the Hazil tribe to the JNF, with 370,000 square metres being allocated for forest planting.

The land seizure took place even after the tribe provided title deeds proving their ownership of the land and its use for crop cultivation.

The notice came as Palestinians in the Negev held a protest outside the Israeli court complex in Beersheba, the Negev's largest city, for the ninth consecutive day.

The protesters are demanding the release of around 150 Palestinians detained for protesting against Israel's razing of the lands of their families, according to the Palestinian Authority's news agency, Wafa.