Zayta

Location and Historical Background
The village of Zayta was situated on a hill approximately one kilometer north of Wadi Zina. A dirt path connected it to ‘Iraq al-Manshiyya, which lay along the main east–west road between the coastal city of al-Majdal and Bayt Jibrin.

The earlier village, known as Khirbat Zina al-Kharab, was located about 1.5 kilometers south of the village, on the southern bank of the wadi. The population was relocated to the new site during the British Mandate period, due to the polluted waters of the wadi, which led to the spread of insects and disease.

In 1596, Zayta was recorded as a village in the Gaza subdistrict (Liwa Gaza), with a population of 165. Taxes were paid on wheat, barley, goats, and beehives.

By the late 19th century, Zayta was described as a small farmstead constructed of mudbrick, located at the edge of the wadi and surrounded on either side by low hills.

The new village of Zayta extended along a northeast–southwest axis, with homes built from mud, wood, and reeds. The residents, all Muslims, obtained drinking water from artesian wells, most of which were located south of the village near Wadi Zina, where groundwater was close to the surface. Additional wells existed to the north of the village.

Residents practiced dry farming and animal husbandry, primarily raising sheep and goats. They cultivated grains over large areas and used the remaining lands as pastures for their livestock. In 1944/1945, a total of 1,027 dunums were allocated to grain cultivation.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

Zayta was one of the villages occupied during Operation An-Far. Israeli historian Benny Morris states that the village was taken at the end of the operation, on 17–18 July 1948. However, the official History of the War of Independence records that the occupation occurred earlier, on 9–10 July 1948, nearly a week prior.

The Village Today

No village houses remain. Only a well, still in use, survives. The site is partially overgrown with tall grasses, wildflowers, and trees. Israeli farmers cultivate the surrounding lands.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements directly on the lands of the village. However, approximately a month after the occupation of the village, the Jewish National Fund submitted a settlement plan to the Israeli government proposing the establishment of a kibbutz at the village site. The plan, dated 20 August, referred to the settlement as Kibbutz Gal’on, according to Morris.

Other sources, however, indicate that Kibbutz Gal’on was already established earlier, in early 1947, on lands traditionally belonging to the village of Ra‘na, approximately 2 kilometers from the site of Zayta.