The population, combined with that of Mallaha, came to 890 Muslims in the 1945 statistics,[3] with a total of 2,168 dunams of land.[4]
The village relied on its abundant springs for farming.[5] In 1944–45 a total of 1,761 dunums was allocated to cereal farming.[10] while 20 dunams were classified as built-up land.[11]
1948 war and depopulation
According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the villagers fled on 20 April (prior to the occupation of any neighboring villages), anticipating an Israeli attack.[12] In August 1948, Golani Brigade units were preparing to blow up the village in spite of a complaint from the nearby Kibbutz Sha’ar ha-’Amaqim, which objected.[12] Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion denied responsibility, saying: "No permission was given by me or to any commander to destroy houses." The village was nevertheless destroyed.[12]
In 1992, Khalidi wrote that the area was strewn with rubble covered by a thicket of woods, grass, and thorny plants, and he saw animals grazing in the hills. Some land in the plain had been turned into a nature reserve and the rest cultivated by Israeli farmers."[12]
Notes and references
^ abMorris, 2004, p. xvi, village #31. Also gives cause of depopulation.
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