Protests held against Israel plans to evict aboriginals

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in 'Israel', the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Saturday against an Israeli draft law aimed at evicting aboriginal residents from the southern Negev desert.

The Zionist regime is going to relocate 30,000-40,000 aboriginal Palestinians, demolish about 40 villages and confiscate more than 700,000 dunams (70,000 hectares) of Negev land.

The draft legislation was adopted by parliament in a first reading in June but it has to pass two more readings in the Knesset before it becomes law.

Israeli police said clashes broke out at the main demonstration Saturday in the Negev village of Houra where around 1,000 protesters had gathered as part of a campaign of rage against the bill.

Protesters told AFP they have appealed plans by Israel to evict them from their homes. "People who have no land do not exist. We have been living here since before the creation of the state of Israel (1948)," said 70-year-old demonstrator Maqbul Saraya.

Other demonstrations took place Saturday in Haifa, in Gaza City and in east al-Quds ('Jerusalem').

 Six demonstrators were arrested in Haifa following clashes with police, AFP reported.