LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished three homes in Umm Numaila and structures in Abu Quraynat, two villages that Israel do not recognize, located near the city of Rahat in the Negev.

The demolitions on Monday in Umm Numaila and Abu Quraynat occurred amid an escalation in the destruction of homes and structures within Arab villages in the Negev for building without a permit, according to the Palestine News Agency.

On Sunday, a family in the village of Abu Quraynat self-demolished their residence and burned what remained of the structure to avoid heavy financial penalties. If an Israeli bulldozer had demolished it, the fines could have reached 60,000 shekels (about $19,430), the report added.

About 300,000 Arab citizens from the Bedouin community live in the Negev, an arid region south of Israel.

The Israeli government identifies about 40 villages in the Negev as “unrecognized,” claiming that roughly 55,000 Bedouins cannot prove land ownership. Residents face significant challenges because they lack electricity, water, transportation and public services. Arab citizens make up about 1.6 million people in Israel, representing 20 percent of the population.