Zionist bulldozers backed by a military helicopter on Thursday demolished the Bedouin village of Al-Araqib in the Negev Desert for the 70th time on the pretext that it had been built illegally.

Zionist bulldozers backed by a military helicopter on Thursday demolished the Bedouin village of Al-Araqib in the Negev Desert for the 70th time on the pretext that it had been built illegally, according to a spokesman for village residents.

Thursday's demolition came despite a Zionist court decision issued one week ago banning the practice, according to Awad Abu Freih.

"Israeli military forces stormed the village and leveled 50 homes made of tin, as well as a mosque and an education center," Abu Frieh told media outlets.

He said village residents were insistent on spending the night in the village – out in the open – despite the latest demolition.

Zionist officials could not be reached for comment on the issue.

Around 150 Palestinians, all of whom bear Zionist citizenship, live in Al-Araqib. They say that they have owned the land since before the Zionist entity came into being in 1948.

More than 220,000 Palestinians live in the Negev Desert in southern Occupied Territories. Half of them live in villages and population centers that have existed for centuries, according to Zionist statistics.