Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya
Encyclopedia
Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya was a Palestinian
Arab
village in the District of Gaza
, located 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) northeast of Gaza
situated along the southern coastal plain of Palestine
50 metres (164 ft) above sea level. It had a population of 680 in 1945. Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya was depopulated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
.
, mentioned by Eusibius as a "beautiful town" between Ascalon
and Bayt Jibrin
. Most modern scholars, however, located Shafir at Khirbat al-Qawm. The Crusade
r name of the village was Zeophir. They recorded that it was the property of Bishop of Jerusalem
in the early 12th century.
Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliya appears in Ottoman
tax records for the 16th century as "Sawafir al-Halil". It was under the administration of the nahiya of Gaza, part of the Liwa of Gaza
. With a population of 616 in 1596, the village paid taxes on wheat, barley, olive and fruit trees.
In the late 19th century, al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya had several small gardens and wells. Many of its houses were built of adobe
, although few were made of stone. The residents were Muslim
, and the village had its own mosque, but shared a school with the neighboring villages of al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya
and al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya
. The number of students in the school was 280 in the mid-1940s. Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy, and grain, citrus, grapes, and apricots were grown.
in Operation Barak
on May 12. Its residents may have been pushed out by the attack on Bayt Daras on May 10 which was preceded by a mortar attack, but it's more likely that the village was depopulated on the attack of the village itself, according to an Associated Press
dispatch which quoted a Haganah source. At the near end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, Egyptian
and Sudanese
forces planned to recapture al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya, but were prevented from doing so at an early stage.
There are no Jewish settlement
s on the village's lands. According to Palestinian historian, Walid Khalidi
, "A few vacant houses and segments of houses, standing amidst wild vegetation, mark the site. One of them has a covered porch supported on two columns. An old village road is also identifiable, and cactuses and fig trees grow on the site."
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 33 kilometres (20.5 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 along 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....
50 metres (164 ft) above sea level. It had a population of 680 in 1945. Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya was depopulated in 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 village was possibly located at the site of the biblical ShafirShafir
Shafir is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the Shephelah near Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 499....
, mentioned by Eusibius as a "beautiful town" between Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
and Bayt Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin was a Palestinian Arab village located northwest of the city of Hebron. The village had a total land area of 56,185 dunams or , of which were built-up while the rest remained farmland.The early inhabitants of Bayt Jibrin are the Canaanites...
. Most modern scholars, however, located Shafir at Khirbat al-Qawm. The Crusade
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...
r name of the village was Zeophir. They recorded that it was the property of Bishop of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
in the early 12th century.
Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliya appears in Ottoman
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...
tax records for the 16th century as "Sawafir al-Halil". It was under the administration of the nahiya of Gaza, part of the Liwa of Gaza
Liwa of Gaza
The Sanjak of Gaza was a sanjak of the Damascus Eyalet, Ottoman Empire. It administrative center was within the Gaza City....
. With a population of 616 in 1596, the village paid taxes on wheat, barley, olive and fruit trees.
In the late 19th century, al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya had several small gardens and wells. Many of its houses were built of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
, although few were made of stone. The residents were 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, but shared a school with the neighboring villages of al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya
Al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya
Al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza. It was depopulated during the 1948 War on May 18, 1948 during the second stage of Operation Barak. It was located 30 km northeast of Gaza....
and al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya
Al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya
Al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza. It was depopulated during the 1948 War on May 18, 1948 as part of the second stage of Operation Barak. The village was located 32 km northeast of Gaza....
. The number of students in the school was 280 in the mid-1940s. Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy, and grain, citrus, grapes, and apricots were grown.
1948 War and aftermath
Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya was captured by the HaganahHaganah
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 :...
in 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...
on May 12. Its residents may have been pushed out by the attack on Bayt Daras on May 10 which was preceded by a mortar attack, but it's more likely that the village was depopulated on the attack of the village itself, according to an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
dispatch which quoted a Haganah source. At the near end of 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...
, Egyptian
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...
and Sudanese
Military of Sudan
The Sudanese Armed Forces numbers, according to 2007 IISS estimates, 104,800 members supported by 17,500 paramilitary personnel.It comprises Land Forces, a Navy, an Air Force, and the Popular Defence Force. It has also formed Joint Integrated Units with its rebel enemies the Sudan People's...
forces planned to recapture al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya, but were prevented from doing so at an early stage.
There are no Jewish settlement
Jewish settlement
Jewish settlement may refer to :* Israeli settlement : Jewish communities currently established in the West Bank or in the Golan Heights, between 1967 and 2006 in the Gaza strip or between 1967 and 1981 in the Sinai....
s on the village's lands. According to 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...
, "A few vacant houses and segments of houses, standing amidst wild vegetation, mark the site. One of them has a covered porch supported on two columns. An old village road is also identifiable, and cactuses and fig trees grow on the site."
External links
- Welcome To al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya
- al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya 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...