Al-Jiyya
Encyclopedia
al-Jiyya was a Palestinian
village that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. Located 19 kilometers northeast of Gaza City, according to a 1945 census, the village had a population of 1,230. The village was captured by Israel
's Giv'ati Brigade on 4 November 1948 during Operation Yoav
.
s descended around it and it was periodically subjected to flooding. This perhaps explains its name, which means "water collector" in Arabic. The village has been identified with a town referred to in the Crusader
records as Algie
. The villagers reported that their village had been ruined at one point and then rebuilt by Muhammed Aby Nabbut, the governor of Jaffa
and Gaza between 1807 and 1818.
Al-Jiyya's population was Muslim
and the village had its own mosque
. The children attended school in the neighboring village of Barbara
. The villagers installed a pump on one of the wells in the area to draw water for domestic use. The villagers worked primarily in agriculture, planting various types of grain, especially corn. Al-Jiyya was known for its cheese and dairy products, which were sold in Gaza and in Majdal
.
In 1944/45 a total of 189 dunums was used for citrus and bananas, while 8,004 dunumus were allocated to cereals and 26 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
Among the archaeological remains found in al Jiyya were a stone column and the remains of a Roman
mill.
's Giv'ati Brigade on 4 November 1948 during Operation Yoav
. At the end of November 1948, Coastal Plain District troops carried out sweeps of the villages around and to the south of Majdal
. Al-Jiyya was one of the villages named in the orders to the IDF
battalions and engineers platoon, that the villagers were to be expelled to Gaza, and the IDF troops were "to prevent their return by destroying their villages." The path leading to the village was to be mined. The IDF troops were ordered to carry out the operation "with determination, accuracy and energy". The operation took place on 30 November. The troops found "about 40" villagers in Barbara
and al-Jiyya, "composed of women, old men and children", who offered no resistance. They were expelled to Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza strip. Eight young men who were found were sent to a POW camp.
According to the Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
(1992):
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...
village that 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...
. Located 19 kilometers northeast of Gaza City, according to a 1945 census, the village had a population of 1,230. The village was captured by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Giv'ati Brigade on 4 November 1948 during Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
.
History, Al-Jiyya before 1948
The village was situated on a sandy spot, surrounded by hills, on the southern coastal plain. Several wadiWadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
s descended around it and it was periodically subjected to flooding. This perhaps explains its name, which means "water collector" in Arabic. The village has been identified with a town referred to in the Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
records as Algie
Algie
Algie is a family name, originating from Jacopo Algeo, from Italy in 1420. He travelled to Scotland in 1453. Many Scottish Algeos descended from him later changed the name to Algie approximately six generations later, while others later changed their surname once again to Elgee...
. The villagers reported that their village had been ruined at one point and then rebuilt by Muhammed Aby Nabbut, the governor of Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
and Gaza between 1807 and 1818.
Al-Jiyya's 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...
and the village had its own mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. The children attended school in the neighboring village of Barbara
Barbara, Gaza
Barbara was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza located 17 km northeast of Gaza City, in the vicinity of modern Ashkelon. It had an entirely Arab population of 2,410 in 1945 . The village consisted of nearly 14,000 dunums of which approximately 12,700 dunums was able to be...
. The villagers installed a pump on one of the wells in the area to draw water for domestic use. The villagers worked primarily in agriculture, planting various types of grain, especially corn. Al-Jiyya was known for its cheese and dairy products, which were sold in Gaza and in Majdal
Majdal
Majdal is a common place name in Syria and Palestine and can refer to:* Al-Majdal, Askalan, a village depopulated in 1948, now part of Ashkelon in Israel...
.
In 1944/45 a total of 189 dunums was used for citrus and bananas, while 8,004 dunumus were allocated to cereals and 26 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
Among the archaeological remains found in al Jiyya were a stone column and the remains of a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
mill.
1948 War
The village was captured by IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Giv'ati Brigade on 4 November 1948 during Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
. At the end of November 1948, Coastal Plain District troops carried out sweeps of the villages around and to the south of Majdal
Majdal
Majdal is a common place name in Syria and Palestine and can refer to:* Al-Majdal, Askalan, a village depopulated in 1948, now part of Ashkelon in Israel...
. Al-Jiyya was one of the villages named in the orders to the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
battalions and engineers platoon, that the villagers were to be expelled to Gaza, and the IDF troops were "to prevent their return by destroying their villages." The path leading to the village was to be mined. The IDF troops were ordered to carry out the operation "with determination, accuracy and energy". The operation took place on 30 November. The troops found "about 40" villagers in Barbara
Barbara, Gaza
Barbara was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza located 17 km northeast of Gaza City, in the vicinity of modern Ashkelon. It had an entirely Arab population of 2,410 in 1945 . The village consisted of nearly 14,000 dunums of which approximately 12,700 dunums was able to be...
and al-Jiyya, "composed of women, old men and children", who offered no resistance. They were expelled to Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza strip. Eight young men who were found were sent to a POW camp.
According to the 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...
(1992):
"All traces of the village have been completely obliterated. Some sycamore trees grow on the site. Cantaloupes have been planted by the settlement of Beyt Shiqma on the surrounding lands."
External links
- al-Jiyya, PalestineRemembered.com,
- Jiyya, from 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...