This report deals with the protection policy of the Bedouin communities in the Negev and its consequences.

Approximately 304,000 Bedouin Arab citizens live in the Negev, of whom approximately 80,000 live in about 35 unrecognized villages, some in permanent homes and many of them in temporary structures, including shacks and barracks. The residents of these villages do not have any available means of protection from missile attacks, even though the villages are within firing range of missiles and rockets originating from the Gaza Strip. A similar situation also exists among the approximately 50,000 residents of unregulated neighborhoods in the recognized Bedouin villages. In the past, the “Iron Dome” defense systems that intercept missiles and rockets did not fully cover the unrecognized villages which, due to the lack of recognition of their existence, are officially defined as “open areas”. The consequences of this situation became clear during the Iron Swords War, during which the residents of the unrecognized villages in the Negev were exposed to direct attacks on a daily basis. Rockets hit houses and temporary structures directly with the resulting death of 7 Bedouin residents, including 6 children. This report reveals that, in the absence of a safe space to take shelter, the lives of thousands of Bedouin residents are in real danger.