Dayr Aban
February 25, 2024
Sufla
February 25, 2024The village of Deir al-Hawa was situated atop a high mountain, overlooking vast expanses of land to the west, north, and south. A secondary road connected it to another secondary road leading to Bethlehem, which passed several kilometers to the northeast of the village. Dirt roads also connected it to nearby villages.
In the late 19th century, Deir al-Hawa stood on one of the hills forming a mountain range overlooking a deep valley to the north. At that time, the village consisted of a few tall houses and was classified as a farm in the Index Gazetteer of Palestine. The general shape of the village was rectangular, with newer buildings extending along a northwest-southeast axis in line with the area’s topography. Its houses were built of stone or mud, closely spaced, and separated by narrow alleys.
The residents—all of whom were Muslim—prayed at a mosque located in the village’s western corner and maintained the shrine of Sheikh Suleiman, a local religious figure. The villagers obtained drinking water from two wells, one southeast of the village and the other to its west. The village’s agricultural lands were mostly mountainous, except for the valley floor where cereals were grown. Fruit trees such as apples, olives, figs, and almonds were planted on the slopes, and all crops were rainfed. In 1944–1945, a total of 1,565 dunums were allocated for cereals, and 58 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Deir al-Hawa was located on an archaeological site, and some of the village’s houses were built using stones and columns from ancient buildings formerly present at the location.
Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing
Deir al-Hawa was among the villages occupied at the beginning of Operation Ha-Har (see ‘Allar, Jerusalem District), following the end of the second truce. The village fell into the hands of the Fourth Battalion of the Harel Brigade during the night of October 18–19, 1948 (or possibly the following night). After Israeli units captured Deir Aban from Egyptian forces, their attention turned to Deir al-Hawa, which stood 300 meters higher than Deir Aban and only two kilometers away.
The book History of the War of Independence states: “Climbing to the village required a major effort in itself, and had the enemy [Egyptian forces] been able to hold out, it would certainly have caused us significant difficulties. But here too, the fighters withdrew immediately after the shelling began, as they had lost confidence in their ability to hold out, and fear of our army had spread in their hearts.” No mention is made of civilians, but Israeli historian Benny Morris notes that the operation’s commander, Yigal Allon, likely instructed his officers that no civilian groups should remain in the area occupied during the operation.
The Village Today
The rubble of houses is scattered and mixed with the remains of collapsed terraces. Parts of the site have been leveled, bulldozed, and the debris gathered into a large mound at one end of the site. Carob groves and olive trees grow on the terraces to the north, south, and west, while cacti grow on the southern edge of the village.
On the western side, there are collapsed walls and large concrete blocks near a watchtower built in the cleared area. The Jewish National Fund (JNF)—the body responsible for land acquisition and management for the Zionist movement—established on the village’s land, and on the lands of several neighboring villages, the “Bicentennial Park.” Pine trees were recently planted alongside the park, and the Hubert Humphrey Parkway—lined with trees—passes through it, crossing the lands of Deir al-Hawa.
Zionist Settlements on Village Lands
There are no settlements on the village’s lands. However, the settlement of Nes Harim (155128), established in 1950, is located near the northeastern edge of the village site.
