Khirbat Zalafa Explained

Khirbat Zalafa
Native Name:خربة زلفة
Native Name Lang:ar
Other Name:Khirbet Zalafa, Zalafa
Etymology:"The cistern"[1]
Pushpin Map:Mandatory Palestine
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Coordinates:32.4039°N 34.9425°W
Grid Name:Palestine grid
Grid Position:144/201
Subdivision Type:Geopolitical entity
Subdivision Name:Mandatory Palestine
Subdivision Type1:Subdistrict
Subdivision Name1:Tulkarm
Established Title1:Date of depopulation
Established Date1:April 15, 1948[2]
Established Title2:Repopulated dates
Area Footnotes:(6,865 Arab, 617 Jewish, 231 Public)
Unit Pref:dunam
Area Total Dunam:7,713
Population Footnotes:[3] [4]
Population As Of:1945
Population Total:210
Blank Name Sec1:Cause(s) of depopulation
Blank Info Sec1:Fear of being caught up in the fighting

Khirbat Zalafa (Arabic: خربة زلفة) was a small Palestinian Arab village in the Tulkarm Subdistrict, located about 15km (09miles) northwest of Tulkarm. It was depopulated during the 1948 Palestine war. It was occupied by Yishuv forces on April 15, 1948 as a part of operation "Coastal Clearing."[5]

History

Remains from a settlement dating to the Roman-Byzantine era have been found here.[6]

In the modern era, the people of Khirbat Zalafa came from Attil to farm the village land. Gradually they settled in the village so they could be closer to their land. In the late 19th century, Khirbat Zalafa was described as a small hamlet with springs to the south.[7]

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine there were 63 villagers, all Muslim.[8] At the time of the 1931 census, the village was counted under Attil, together with Jalama and Al-Manshiyya.[9]

The village had a small core of houses, with many dwellings scattered throughout on the agricultural lands. The agriculture was based on watermelons, vegetables, grain and olives.

By the 1944/45 statistics the village had 210 Muslims,[3] while jurisdiction was 7,713 dunams, of which 6,865 was Arab owned, 617 was Jewish owned, while 231 was publicly owned.[4] Of this, 6,798 dunums were allotted to cereals, 38 dunum was devoted to citrus and bananas ad 6 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards,[10] while 3 dunams were classified as built-up, urban land.[11]

1948 and after

The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi described the village in 1992: "The village has been completely levelled. Both the original site and the surrounding lands are covered with Israeli citrus orchards."[12]

There are no Israeli settlements on village land.[12]

See also

Bibliography

External links and references

Notes and References

  1. Palmer, 1881, p. 196
  2. Morris, 2004, p. xviii, village #185. Also gives cause(s) of depopulation.
  3. Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 21
  4. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 76
  5. Morris, 2004, p. xviii, village #185
  6. Tsafrir et al, 1994, p. 260
  7. Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 153. Quoted in Khalidi, 1992, p. 568
  8. Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Tulkarem, p. 28
  9. Mills, 1932, p. 53
  10. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 126 Also Khalidi, 1992, p. 568
  11. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 176
  12. Khalidi, 1992, p. 568

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Khirbat Zalafa".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.