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A far-right Israeli activist has created an armed rangers unit in the Ìýdesert amid in the area, the Israeli daily Haaretz on Thursday.

Almog Cohen, a former policeman and aÌýregional coordinatorÌýof the far-right anti-Palestinian party Otzma Yehudit, said he established the armed civilian unit toÌý"save the Negev from problematic absence of personal security".Ìý

Cohen had in the past expressed an intentionÌýto recruit armed Israeli men with a valid gun license in order toÌýpatrolÌýÌýa region with a largeÌýPalestinian Bedouins community, which suffers from high crime rates.

The police and the municipality ofÌýBe’er Sheva, the largestÌýcity in the Negev,Ìýinitially said they would attend an event marking the official launch of the militiaÌýon Sunday, butÌýpolice walked back on their support a few days before.

"The police announced earlier this week that it would not take part in this initiative and that the Southern District commander would not attend the launching ceremony," a police spokesperson told Haaretz, addingÌýthat the police had withdrawn after Cohen launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy equipment for his unit, which is 'forbidden' according to police.

Tensions have been mounting recently in the Negev (called Naqab by Palestinian residents)Ìýover a contested tree-planting project.

The Negev desert is home to over 300,000 Palestinian Bedouins, who are extremely marginalised and constitute Israeli's poorest minority.Ìý

SinceÌýJanuary, Israeli forces have -including minors- protesting against the afforestation project.

Clashes erupted at the beginning of the year whenÌýthe Jewish National Fund (JNF), aÌý,ÌýsentÌýbulldozersÌýaccompanied by Israeli police intoÌý"unrecognised" Bedouin villagesÌýto plant trees on the land -Ìýa move that local communities denounced as an attempt to displace them.

Many Bedouins have agreed to liveÌýin a handful of cities built by the Israeli state, but others continue to live in their historicÌývillages and cultivate their ancestral lands.

Despite the Bedouins' centuries-old presenceÌýon the land, much of it isÌýconsidered by Israel as state property, since Bedouin communities were expropriated at the time of Israel's creationÌýor they failed to register their deeds with the new authorities.Ìý

These villages are "unrecognised" by the Israeli government and lackÌýbasic services - be it road, electricity, water or schools.