In today's world, Al-Ghazzawiyya has taken a leading role in society, generating a significant impact in different areas of daily life. Since its emergence, Al-Ghazzawiyya has generated endless debates, criticisms, and reflections, becoming a topic of interest for different sectors and disciplines. Its influence has transcended borders and has become a fundamental part in decision-making, in the construction of identity, in the development of technology, and in the creation of new forms of communication. In this article, we will explore the many facets of Al-Ghazzawiyya and its relevance in contemporary society.
Ghazzawiyya
الغزاويه | |
---|---|
Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
Coordinates: 32°30′08″N 35°32′30″E / 32.50222°N 35.54167°E | |
Palestine grid | 200/212 |
Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
Subdistrict | Baysan |
Date of depopulation | May 20, 1948 |
Area | |
• Total | 18,408 dunams (18.4 km2 or 7.1 sq mi) |
Population (1945) | |
• Total | 1,020 |
Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
Current Localities | Neve Eitan, Maoz Haim |
Al-Ghazzawiyya (Arabic: الغزاويه), is a Palestinian village located 2 kilometers east of the city of Bet Shean (Bisan). In 1945, the population was 1,640, 1,020 Arab and 620 Jewish.
Several archeological sites in the area testify to a long history of human occupancy. The village was surrounded by the archeological sites of Tall-al Barta to the north, Tall al-Husn to the west, and Tall al-Maliha to the southwest. Excavations of Tall al-Husn showed an occupational history extending from the third millennium BC to the eighth century CE, when the site was occupied by an Arab village.
In modern times, the village spread over a wide area of the Baysan valley. The villagers were members of the al-Ghazzawiyya Beduin tribe, who constituted the bulk of the valley's population together with members of the al-Bashatiwa and the al-Suqur. In the 1931 census, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, 'Arab Abu Hashiya had 156 Muslim inhabitants, and a total of 29 houses.
In the 1945 statistics, Al-Ghazzawiyya had 1,020, all Muslim inhabitants with a total of 18,408 dunams of land. Of this, a total of 13 dunams were used for citrus and bananas, 5,185 dunums for cereals, 34 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards, while 91 dunams were classified as non-cultivable land.
It was occupied by Israel's Golani Brigade on May 20, 1948, during Operation Gideon, an Israeli offensive during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Arab population was forced to flee to nearby Syria or the present-day West Bank.
The Jewish localities of Maoz Haim and Neve Eitan are built on the lands of the former village, though a large percentage of it is used as agricultural land, in particular the wheat crop. According to Walid Khalidi, the village contained an archaeological site, Tell al-Ru'yan which was transformed into waste dump.