In 2004 the Abu Basma Regional Council was established in the framework of solving the problem of unrecognized Bedouin villages; the council amalgamates 11 settlements and provided welfare services and education to those living in the unrecognized villages. In 2012, the Abu Basma Regional Council was split in two and two additional Regional Councils were established, El Kassum and Neve Midbar.

El Kassum Regional Council amalgamates seven Bedouin settlements, spread out over the Western Negev: Tarabin, Umm Batin, El Sayid, Sawa, Kuchle, Makchul and Drijat. In addition to residents living in the permanent villages, the Regional Council provides welfare services and education to many living in the Bedouin dispersal.

Today there are some 12,000 residents listed in the Council settlements, but the council provides services for over 60,000, both in and outside of the settlements. The present jurisdictional district of the council is 38,610 dunam; however, there is no sequential land connection between the council's settlements.

El Kassum Regional Council is one of the only two Bedouin Regional Councils in Israel and it deals with exceptional challenges such as connecting existing settlements to basic infrastructures, leading processes of acknowledging settlements and more.

In 2017, for the first time, democratic elections were held for council, and for the local committees. In October 2018 elections were held for the Local Council and Mr. Salame Alatrash was elected Head of the Council.