Al-Jammama

The village of Al-Jammama was situated on undulating land in the northern part of the Negev Desert, near the edge of Wadi al-Murabba‘. A secondary road connected it to the village of Bureir (in the Gaza District) to the northwest, which itself led to a main road running parallel to the coastal highway, ultimately leading to Gaza. Owing to a network of similar roads connecting it to other villages, and the main Beersheba–Gaza road to the southwest, Al-Jammama was considered a key gateway to southern Palestine.

On November 8, 1917, during the final stages of World War I, British forces defeated an Ottoman military unit in Al-Jammama, which resulted in the British occupation of the village.

According to information obtained by the Galilee Center for Social Research in Nazareth from the Arab al-‘Atauna Bedouin tribe, who settled in the village before 1948, Al-Jammama consisted of approximately 120 structures known as “baykat” (singular: bayka), built from stone and mud, roofed with mud and wood, and located in the area of Khirbat al-Jammama and its surroundings. These structures were tightly clustered, with some shops situated centrally among them. Many of these baykat were used as homes, while others in poor condition served as granaries or animal pens.

If the number of baykat was indeed 120, this suggests either that the 1931 census significantly underreported the number of dwellings or that the village expanded rapidly after that year.

The economy of Al-Jammama was primarily agricultural, focusing on wheat, barley, and vegetables. Livestock rearing was also important, supported by the abundant grazing land nearby. Local wells provided water for animals and irrigation for small vegetable plots.

In 1944, a primary school was established in the village. An archaeological site in the area contained water cisterns, an olive press, mosaic floors, tombs, a stone column capital, and architectural fragments. Nearby, Middle Paleolithic stone tools were also discovered.

Depopulation and Military Occupation

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, the village was captured and depopulated on May 22, 1948, as a result of a military assault conducted by the Israeli Negev Brigade during Operation Barak, in coordination with the Giv’ati Brigade. This led to the ethnic cleansing and displacement of the inhabitants.

Current Status of the Village

Today, only a few ruined stone walls remain on the hillsides, surrounded by thorn bushes and sarcopoterium shrubs. The site is overgrown with cactus plants and acacia trees. It is currently used as grazing land, and a cattle pen is present on site. Surrounding lands are cultivated, and Bedouin families occasionally set up tents nearby to make use of the surrounding pastures.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

The agricultural settlement of Ruhama was established on village lands in 1944, prior to the village’s depopulation.