al-Jura

The village was situated on a flat area of land, surrounded by sand dunes. To its south extended the desert region known as the “Asqalan Sands” (Rimal ‘Asqalan), formed by the gradual expansion of sand dunes. Al-Jura—also referred to as Jurat Asqalan to distinguish it from other villages with the same name—was believed to have been built over the ruins of an ancient village known during the Roman period as Jagur.

The village appears in Ottoman records from the late 16th century under the name Jurat al-Hajja, located in the subdistrict of Gaza (Liwa Gaza), with a population of 253. The Sufi traveler from Damascus, Mustafa al-Bakri al-Siddiqi, visited the area in the mid-18th century and mentioned passing through the village before continuing on to Hammama (as cited in Khalidi).

By the late 19th century, al-Jura was situated in flat terrain on the outskirts of Asqalan and had a rectangular layout. Its population was entirely Muslim, and homes were constructed from adobe and stones repurposed from the ruins of ancient Asqalan. The village had a mosque, which included a guesthouse and school built in 1919; by the 1940s, the school had 206 students. The mosque, school, and market were located at the village center.

Located about 5 kilometers from the town of al-Majdal, and near the coast, al-Jura had a cooler summer climate compared to inland villages, making it a summer retreat for residents of al-Majdal. The village also held an annual festival that attracted visitors from all over the Gaza district for swimming, sports, and religious celebrations. A seasonal market was set up during the festival, where goods were sold to attendees.

The village had a diverse economy. Its most important livelihood came from fishing and bird hunting. Fish and birds caught in al-Jura were sold in many surrounding towns and villages, making the village one of the region’s key fishing and hunting centers. Agriculture was another major source of income, with a variety of citrus trees, grapes, apricots, apples, and almonds grown on some lands, and other lands used for vegetables, onions, and grain cultivation. In 1944–1945, a total of 481 dunams were allocated for citrus and bananas, 2,795 dunams for grains, and 7,198 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards. Some villagers also engaged in handicrafts, such as basket weaving and fishing net production.

Occupation and Depopulation

The village was almost certainly occupied around the same time as al-Majdal, on November 4–5, 1948, during the final phase of Operation Yoav. According to an Egyptian communique cited by The New York Times, al-Jura was among the first targets bombed during the operation. On October 15, a United Press International report from Cairo noted that Israeli aircraft bombed the village, in addition to Gaza and al-Majdal. It is highly likely that the residents of al-Jura fled to the Gaza Strip due to the occupation and the preliminary aerial bombardment across the entire coastal region.

The Village Today

Only one house remains standing from the original village. Shrubs, including thornbushes and brambles, grow in parts of the site that have not been built over by the Israeli city of Ashkelon.