Qazaza
Encyclopedia
Qazaza was a Palestinian
village, located 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) south of Ramla
. It was depopulated in 1948.
. The villagers of Qazaza, who were predominantly Muslim
, maintained a village mosque
and some owned shops. An elementary school was first established in Qazaza in 1922. In 1945 Qazaza joined with the villagers of Sajad
and Jilya
and established a common school for all the three villages. This school had 127 students at the time of its founding in 1945.
The villagers cultivated grain, vegetables and fruits. In 1944/45 a total of 11,757 dunum
s were allocated to cereals, while 131 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
was ordered to demolish Arab houses in socalled "retaliatory measures". In this connection Haganah units partially destroyed the home of the mukhtar
of Qazaza, Abdullah Abu Sabah, on the 19 December 1947, in response to the killing of a Jew.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
, Qazaza was defended by the Egypt
ian Army and local militiamen. Its population of an estimated 1,090 Arab
s fled after the fall of a neighbouring town (Sajad
). On 9 July 1948, as part of Operation An-Far
, Israel
's Givati Brigade
captured the village.
On 16 July 1948, Givati
HQ informed General Staff\Operations that "our forces have entered the villages of Qazaza, Kheima
, Jilya
, Idnibba
, Mughallis
, expelled the inhabitants, [and] blown up and torched a number of houses. The area is at the moment clear of Arabs".
Many of Qazaza's former inhabitants fled to Hebron
, forming part of the 1948 Palestinian exodus
.
Today, the village lands are used by the Israel Defense Forces
. As a closed military zone, it is not known what became of Qazaza's mosque, its elementary school (which had served the villages of Sajad and Jilya
as well) or its more than 150 homes.
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, located 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) south of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
. It was depopulated in 1948.
History
A European traveler reported that he passed Qazaza in the 1860s on his way to examine a nearby tellTell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
. The villagers of Qazaza, who were predominantly 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...
, maintained a village 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...
and some owned shops. An elementary school was first established in Qazaza in 1922. In 1945 Qazaza joined with the villagers of Sajad
Sajad
Sajad was a Palestinian village, located sixteen kilometers south of Ramla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-History:The village of Sajad was the site of a railway station built by the French in Ottoman era Palestine. In August 1892 the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway service was...
and Jilya
Jilya
Jilya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. The Romans referred to it as Jilya by Galla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the Givati Brigade of the first stage of Operation Dani on July 9, 1948. It was located 17 km south of Ramla.A 1596 census revealed...
and established a common school for all the three villages. This school had 127 students at the time of its founding in 1945.
The villagers cultivated grain, vegetables and fruits. In 1944/45 a total of 11,757 dunum
Dunum
Dunum is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
s were allocated to cereals, while 131 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
1948 War and aftermath
During the countdown to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, 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 :...
was ordered to demolish Arab houses in socalled "retaliatory measures". In this connection Haganah units partially destroyed the home of the mukhtar
Mukhtar
Mukhtar meaning "chosen" in Arabic, refers to the head of a village or mahalle in many Arab countries as well as in Turkey and Cyprus. The name refers to the fact that mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election. Mukhtar is also a common...
of Qazaza, Abdullah Abu Sabah, on the 19 December 1947, in response to the killing of a Jew.
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...
, Qazaza was defended by the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Army and local militiamen. Its population of an estimated 1,090 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...
s fled after the fall of a neighbouring town (Sajad
Sajad
Sajad was a Palestinian village, located sixteen kilometers south of Ramla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-History:The village of Sajad was the site of a railway station built by the French in Ottoman era Palestine. In August 1892 the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway service was...
). On 9 July 1948, as part of Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far was a military operation launched by Israel's Givati Brigade on the night of July 8–9 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its objectives were to gain control of approaches in southern Judea and block the advance of the Egyptian army...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
'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...
captured the village.
On 16 July 1948, Givati
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...
HQ informed General Staff\Operations that "our forces have entered the villages of Qazaza, Kheima
Al-Khayma
Al-Khayma was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on July 9, 1948 by the Givati Brigade of Operation An-Far. It was located 18.5 km south of Ramla.In 1945 it had a population of 190....
, Jilya
Jilya
Jilya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. The Romans referred to it as Jilya by Galla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the Givati Brigade of the first stage of Operation Dani on July 9, 1948. It was located 17 km south of Ramla.A 1596 census revealed...
, Idnibba
Idnibba
Idnibba was a Palestinian village, located at latitude 31.7426937N and longitude 34.8561001,E in the southern part of Ramla district. It was depopulated in 1948, at which time its population was 568, and its lands are now used by Kfar Menahem.-History:...
, Mughallis
Mughallis
Mughallis was a Palestinian Arab village located northwest of Hebron. In 1945, it had a population of 540. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War between July 9-10, 1948 as part of Operation An-Far.-External links:*...
, expelled the inhabitants, [and] blown up and torched a number of houses. The area is at the moment clear of Arabs".
Many of Qazaza's former inhabitants fled to Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
, forming part of the 1948 Palestinian exodus
1948 Palestinian exodus
The 1948 Palestinian exodus , also known as the Nakba , occurred when approximately 711,000 to 725,000 Palestinian Arabs left, fled or were expelled from their homes, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the Civil War that preceded it. The exact number of refugees is a matter of dispute...
.
Today, the village lands are used by the Israel Defense Forces
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...
. As a closed military zone, it is not known what became of Qazaza's mosque, its elementary school (which had served the villages of Sajad and Jilya
Jilya
Jilya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. The Romans referred to it as Jilya by Galla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the Givati Brigade of the first stage of Operation Dani on July 9, 1948. It was located 17 km south of Ramla.A 1596 census revealed...
as well) or its more than 150 homes.
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- Palestine Railways
- Jaffa–Jerusalem railwayJaffa–Jerusalem railwayThe Jaffa–Jerusalem railway is a railroad that connected Jaffa and Jerusalem. The line was built in Ottoman Palestine by the French company Société du Chemin de Fer Ottoman de Jaffa à Jérusalem et Prolongements and inaugurated in 1892, after previous attempts by the Jewish philanthropist Moses...
External links
- Welcome to Qazaza
- Qazaza at 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...