Barqusya

The village was situated on a hill that sloped down from the western foothills of the Hebron Mountains toward the northwest. A dirt road, which became a secondary route near the village of Summil to the southwest, connected Barqusiya to the main road running between the coastal city of al-Majdal and the city of Hebron.

In the late 19th century, Barqusiya was a medium-sized village with a pentagonal shape, and its houses were built of stone and mud. In the early decades of the 20th century, construction progressed slowly, primarily expanding northward along the road leading to the village of Bi‘lin to the northwest. However, in the final years of the British Mandate, one of the village’s two main clans relocated approximately one kilometer to the south, causing the village to expand in that direction.

The village contained a few small shops and a modest mosque. The children of the village attended school in the village of Tall al-Safi, located to the northwest. To the west of the village was a well that had provided drinking water to the residents since the late 19th century.

The village economy relied on rain-fed agriculture. The inhabitants primarily cultivated grain, but they also grew fruit. In 1944/1945, a total of 2,460 dunums were allocated for grain cultivation, and 28 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The residents of Barqusiya raised sheep and goats in addition to engaging in agriculture.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

Barqusiya was occupied during the attacks carried out as part of Operation An-Far, most likely on July 9–10, 1948, during the interim period between the two truce agreements of the war.

The following month, the Jewish National Fund quickly drew up plans to establish a settlement on the site. On August 20, 1948, the Fund submitted to the Israeli authorities a plan that showed two settlements to be established on the lands of Barqusiya and the neighboring village of Summil. The plan proposed replacing the two villages with two settlements named Segula and Nahla—according to Israeli historian Benny Morris.

The Village Today

None of the original village houses remain. Some graves can still be seen, separated by mouse-tail and mallow plants. One of the graves has a headstone bearing an inscription. There are also remnants of a well. Several types of trees now grow throughout the site, including palm trees. The area is currently used as grazing land by Israeli farmers, who also cultivate grapevines and fruit trees there once more.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements on the lands of the village itself. However, the settlements of Segula and Nahla are located nearby to the southwest, on the lands of Summil, across the boundary between the districts of Hebron and Gaza.