Al-Batani al-Sharqi
Encyclopedia
Al-Batani al-Sharqi was a Palestinian
Arab
village in the District of Gaza
, located 36.5 kilometres (22.7 mi) northeast of Gaza
situated in the flat terrain on the southern coastal plain of Palestine
. It had a population of 650 in 1945. Al-Batani al-Sharqi was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
.
caliph Mu'awiyah I in the 8th century CE. In 1596, under the Ottoman Empire
, it was a village in the nahiya of Gaza, part of the Sanjak of Gaza with a population of 39. It paid taxes on wheat, barley, fruit, beehives, goats, and vineyards.
In the late 19th century, the village of al-Batani al-Sharqi was situated on low ground and extended from east to west in a rectangular shape. Patches of garden and a number of wells surrounded the village. Construction expanded westward—the Wadi al-Mari's winter flooding impeded eastward expansion—along the road that linked to al-Batani al-Gharbi
until the distance between the two villages was less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Village houses, made of adobe, with wood-and-cane roofs, were built close together along narrow alleys. The two al-Batanis shared an elementary school that was opened in 1947; its initial enrollment was 119 students. The village had a mosque and a number of small shops. The entire population was Muslim
.
and Barqa, al-Batani al-Sharqi was captured by the Haganah
's Givati Brigade
, just before the end of the British Mandate period in Palestine. According to Israel
i historian Benny Morris
, it fell on May 13, 1948, as part of Operation Barak
in which the Haganah moved southwards in anticipation of an engagement with Egyptian force
s.
The History of the War of Independence, however, states that it was captured by Israeli forces under the Givati Brigade's Eighth Battalion on June 10-11. Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
said that this may have meant that the village briefly changed hands in the course of Israeli-Egyptian battles on the southern front before the first truce came into effect on June 11.
There are no Israeli localities on village lands which consisted of 5,764 dunam
s in 1945. According to Khalidi, "Only a dilapidated police station from the Mandate period survives. It is a complex of three single-storey, concrete flat-roofed buildings... Cactuses and fig, eucalyptus, and sycamore trees are scattered over the site. Israeli farmers cultivate citrus on the adjacent lands."
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
village in the District of Gaza
District of Gaza
The District of Gaza was an administrative district, situated in the southern Mediterranean coastline of the British Mandate of Palestine. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated, with Israel controlling the northern and eastern portions while Egypt held control of the southern...
, located 36.5 kilometres (22.7 mi) northeast of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
situated in the flat terrain on the southern coastal plain of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. It had a population of 650 in 1945. Al-Batani al-Sharqi was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
History
The earliest mention of al-Batani indicates that it was originally founded as a ranch by the UmayyadUmayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
caliph Mu'awiyah I in the 8th century CE. In 1596, under the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, it was a village in the nahiya of Gaza, part of the Sanjak of Gaza with a population of 39. It paid taxes on wheat, barley, fruit, beehives, goats, and vineyards.
In the late 19th century, the village of al-Batani al-Sharqi was situated on low ground and extended from east to west in a rectangular shape. Patches of garden and a number of wells surrounded the village. Construction expanded westward—the Wadi al-Mari's winter flooding impeded eastward expansion—along the road that linked to al-Batani al-Gharbi
Al-Batani al-Gharbi
Al-Batani al-Gharbi was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on May 13, 1948 by the Giv'ati Brigade under Operation Barak. It was located 36 km northeast of Gaza....
until the distance between the two villages was less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Village houses, made of adobe, with wood-and-cane roofs, were built close together along narrow alleys. The two al-Batanis shared an elementary school that was opened in 1947; its initial enrollment was 119 students. The village had a mosque and a number of small shops. The entire population was Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
.
1948 War and aftermath
Together with nearby BashshitBashshit
Bashshit was a Palestinian Arab village located southwest of Ramla about half a mile from Wadi Bashshit. Archaeological artifacts from the village attest to habitation in the Early Islamic period and 12th and 13th centuries CE...
and Barqa, al-Batani al-Sharqi was captured by the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
's Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
, just before the end of the British Mandate period in Palestine. According to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i historian Benny Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
, it fell on May 13, 1948, as part of Operation Barak
Operation Barak
Operation Barak was a Haganah offensive launched just before the end of the British Mandate in Palestine. It was part of Plan Dalet. Its objective was to capture villages North of Gaza in anticipation of the arrival of the Egyptian army...
in which the Haganah moved southwards in anticipation of an engagement with Egyptian force
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
s.
The History of the War of Independence, however, states that it was captured by Israeli forces under the Givati Brigade's Eighth Battalion on June 10-11. Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi is an Oxford University-educated Palestinian historian who has written extensively on the Palestinian exodus. He is General Secretary and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, established in Beirut in December 1963 as an independent research and publishing center...
said that this may have meant that the village briefly changed hands in the course of Israeli-Egyptian battles on the southern front before the first truce came into effect on June 11.
There are no Israeli localities on village lands which consisted of 5,764 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s in 1945. According to Khalidi, "Only a dilapidated police station from the Mandate period survives. It is a complex of three single-storey, concrete flat-roofed buildings... Cactuses and fig, eucalyptus, and sycamore trees are scattered over the site. Israeli farmers cultivate citrus on the adjacent lands."
External links
- Welcome To al-Batani al-Sharqi
- al-Batani al-Sharqi the Khalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural Center is an organization established in 1996. It is located at 4 Raja Street, Ramallah in the West Bank. The traditional manor that houses the centre was the former family home of Khalil Salem Salah, the mayor of Ramallah between 1947/1951, is now owned by the Palestinian...