al-Taqa, Khirbat

The village, classified as a farm in the Indexed Geographical Dictionary of Palestine, was located at the northern edge of Wadi al-Bira near the point where the valley emerges from the hills heading towards the Jordan Valley, approximately 3 kilometers southeast. At the southern edge of the valley, opposite the village, there was an abandoned mill formerly powered by the water flowing through the valley; it is now in ruins. The cemetery of Khirbat al-Taqa was situated on the heights overlooking the village to its north. Hills surrounded the village from the north and south. The village was only 500 meters from the main road leading to Jisr al-Mujamma‘ (Bridge of Assemblies), where a major ford and a principal bridge cross the Jordan River. This main road also led southward to Baysan.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

It is likely that the village fell during Operation Gideon, which resulted in the occupation of Baysan and the displacement of its residents, as well as most of the villages in the district, by May 15, 1948. After that date, Iraqi forces crossed the Jordan River near Khirbat al-Taqa in an attempt to restore the area to Arab control. According to the History of the War of Independence, Iraqi forces besieged the nearby Zionist settlement of Gesher in the days following May 15 and recaptured some sites on the western bank of the Jordan River, which may have included Khirbat al-Taqa. However, the Iraqi attempt ultimately failed due to heavy Israeli artillery shelling stationed at Kokhav Abu al-Hawa.

The Village Today

The site is covered with thorn bushes, palm trees, and eucalyptus trees, and no traces of houses remain. The adjacent land is partially used by Israelis as grazing pasture for cattle.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements on the village lands, although the nearby settlement of Gesher (202225), established in 1939, is located northeast of the village site.