‘Ajjur

The village of ‘Ajjur was spread across a hilly area on the western slopes of the Hebron Mountains. A secondary road connected it to the main road running between Bayt Jibrin and the Jerusalem–Jaffa highway. It is believed that two nearby ruins—Jannaba al-Fawqa and Jannaba al-Tahta—were the site of the famous Battle of Ajnadayn in 634 CE, in which Muslim forces defeated the Byzantines. The old architectural style of the village, especially the Waqf building, suggests that modern-day ‘Ajjur was established during the early years of the Fatimid rule (909–1171 CE) (Abu Fida, 1985: p. 192).

The historian Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali (d. c. 1522) mentioned that he passed through ‘Ajjur after leaving Gaza on his way to Jerusalem (Al-Khalidi, 1968: p. 165). In 1596, ‘Ajjur was a village in the Gaza subdistrict (Liwa’ Gaza), with a population of 193. It paid taxes on a variety of agricultural products such as wheat, barley, and fruits, as well as on other sources of income and resources, including goats, beehives, and vineyards.

By the late 19th century, ‘Ajjur was a small village with some olive trees. Its population was mostly Muslim, and its houses were closely clustered, although some were spread along its western and southern edges. The village had two schools: the first was the private Abu Hassan School, operating since Ottoman times in the aforementioned Waqf building; the second opened in 1934. Students from neighboring villages also attended these schools.

There were two mosques in the village—one dating back to the Fatimid era and another more recently built—as well as four shrines within the village boundaries and four more nearby (Abu Fida, 1985: pp. 79–117, 492–81). A Friday market was held on a large tract of land east of the village, attracting people and merchants from various towns and villages across Palestine (Abu Fida, 1985: p. 1148).

The village’s economy depended primarily on rain-fed agriculture, with wheat and olives being the main crops. In 1944/1945, a total of 24,217 dunums were dedicated to orchards. Livestock farming—especially goats—was the second most important economic activity. Ownership of livestock was considered a source of pride and social prestige. This is reflected in the affectionate names villagers gave their animals; for example, a black-bodied, white-faced cow might be named “Sabīḥa” (meaning “morning”) in reference to the dawn.

The herding of livestock required seasonal movement, with some villagers relocating their herds during winter months to areas away from cultivated fields, residing in secondary homes some distance from the village. British records reflected this semi-nomadic practice: the 1931 census listed Khirbat al-Sura, and the 1945 census listed Khirbat ‘Amura as part of ‘Ajjur’s extensive lands. It is likely that villagers inhabited these sites only part of the year. In addition to agriculture and herding, some residents worked in other trades, such as commerce, tanning, and shoemaking (Abu Fida, 1985: pp. 143–144, 148).

‘Ajjur was located in an area rich in archaeological sites. In addition to the village itself, there were at least twenty-two archaeological locations within its lands.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

The Israeli Giv’ati Brigade, in coordination with Operation Yoav (launched in October 1948 to seize the southern coastal plain), carried out a series of military operations extending northward to occupy villages in the Hebron district. ‘Ajjur was one of the villages captured by the 4th Battalion of the brigade on October 23, according to the “History of the War of Independence.” The report states that the capture of ‘Ajjur allowed for the unification of operations on the southern and central fronts.

Israeli historian Benny Morris notes that most residents fled before the occupation and that those who remained were expelled. He also mentions a prior military assault on ‘Ajjur on July 23–24, 1948, which was the primary reason for the population’s initial flight.

The Village Today

Only three houses remain—two abandoned and one converted into a storage facility. One of the abandoned houses is a two-story stone building with a wide front façade featuring arched windows. Cactus, eucalyptus, and carob trees grow on the site, which is now scattered with rubble and remnants of stone walls. The location itself is deserted and used as grazing land for livestock. The surrounding lands have been seized by the settlement of Agur.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

Five Israeli settlements were established on the lands of the village:

Agur, built near the village site in 1950

Tzafririm, established in 1958

Lachish, established in 1960, located to the southeast of the site

Giv’at Yeshayahu, established in 1958, near the border between the lands of ‘Ajjur and Zakariyya

Tirosh, established in 1955, to the northeast of the village site