Kawkab al-Hawa

The village of Kawkab al-Hawa was situated on a hill that sloped gently toward the north, west, and south. To the east, however, the terrain dropped steeply. Although the village stood at an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, the land just one kilometer to its east lay 100 meters below sea level. To the south and southeast of the village were the springs of ‘Ayn al-Hilwa and ‘Ayn al-Jirani.In the late 19th century, an Arabic inscription was discovered on a small basalt block near the first of these springs, though the inscription was badly eroded (SWP 1882: 119). The main route connecting the village to regional commercial centers was a road leading to Khirbat al-Taqa, which then connected to the main Baysan–Jericho road. Several smaller roads also linked the village to nearby communities.

Due to its elevated location overlooking the Jordan River to the east and Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) to the northeast, Kawkab al-Hawa held a strategic position that granted it historical significance.

Some scholars believe Kawkab al-Hawa corresponds to the site of “Yarmuta,” mentioned on an ancient Egyptian stele found near the city of Baysan, dating back to the late 13th century BCE (Albright 1952: 2814). At that time, the region was inhabited by nomadic Habiru tribes. Yarmuta should not be confused with the well-known Canaanite royal city of Khirbat Yarmuk.

It is possible that the Roman signal tower known as Agrippina was located at the site of Kawkab al-Hawa. The Crusaders also built one of their most renowned and fortified castles in the area—Belvoir Castle—which overlooked the Jordan Valley and Lake Tiberias. Kawkab al-Hawa was the site of several battles between the Crusaders and the armies of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin). The Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 1229) mentioned it as a castle situated on a hill near Tiberias, noting that it was left in ruins after the time of Saladin (Mu‘jam, cited in Le Strange 1965: 483).

In 1596, Kawkab al-Hawa was recorded as a village in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Shafa, within the liwa (district) of Lajjun, with a population of 50. The villagers paid taxes on several agricultural products, including wheat, beans, watermelon, and grapevines (Hütteroth and Abdulfattah: 157).

As the village was built within the perimeter of Belvoir Castle, its expansion was limited. In 1859, the population was approximately 110, living within the castle walls and cultivating about 13 faddans of land outside. Over time, homes were constructed in a circular pattern around the castle and expanded toward the north and west. The Muslim villagers farmed lands located outside the village walls.

In 1944/1945, 5,839 dunums were allocated to grain cultivation, and 170 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, a military assault was launched on Kawkab al-Hawa on 16 May 1948, following the occupation of the nearby city of Baysan. However, other sources state that the village was not fully occupied until a few days later. The Haganah chronicle reports that the village was captured on 21 May by the 3rd Battalion of the Golani Brigade. According to this account, the village’s elevated position made it an ideal site for deploying artillery units to shell the valley below—particularly in light of the arrival of Iraqi forces into Palestine on 15 May.

When a platoon from the Iraqi army attempted to ascend to Kawkab al-Hawa, they reportedly became easy targets for the Israeli forces occupying the village. The Haganah states that its forces attacked the Iraqis from an elevated position at a distance of just 50 meters. When the Iraqi forces retreated, they had lost 30 men, while the Golani Brigade sustained only three wounded.

In contrast, Palestinian historian Aref al-Aref offers a different narrative. He states that Iraqi forces succeeded in entering the village and remained there for two days. According to him, the Israeli forces had already encircled the village as the Iraqi troops entered on 15 May. The village garrison put up some resistance before being defeated and fleeing. Just as Israeli forces were preparing to enter the village, Iraqi units arrived and took control, holding the village from 15 to 17 May.

A report by the Associated Press from Baghdad, dated 18 May, confirmed that Iraqi forces had taken the village, describing it as a “very solid reinforced concrete site.” Al-Aref adds that Israeli forces intensified their attacks on 18 May to relieve pressure on the nearby settlement of Gesher. At sunset, the Iraqis decided to withdraw after losing 23 soldiers.

On the following day, the Israeli military issued a communiqué that did not mention losing control of the village but stated only that Israeli forces had repelled an Arab attack on Kawkab al-Hawa. The same communiqué, cited by The New York Times, claimed that Arab forces had lost 30 men in the battle for the village.

In September 1948, a leader from one of the regional kibbutzim requested permission from the Israeli authorities to destroy the village, along with three other villages in the area. Benny Morris does not clarify whether this request was granted.

The Village Today

The village has been completely destroyed. However, the site of Belvoir Fortress has undergone archaeological excavation and has become a tourist destination. Fig and olive trees now grow on the village site. The hills overlooking the Baysan and al-Birah valleys are used by Israelis as grazing land and for agricultural cultivation.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements established on the lands of Kawkab al-Hawa.