al-Jiyya

 Arial Image before 1948

Al-Jiyya was located on a sandy area of the southern coastal plain, surrounded by hills, with several valleys descending around it, threatening it intermittently with floods. This possibly explains its name, which means “water marsh,” and also accounts for its circular shape. Historians have considered it similar to a town mentioned in Crusader documents known as Algi. The main coastal road and the railway line passed near the village on its western side. According to its inhabitants, the village was destroyed at some point and was rebuilt during the rule of Muhammad Abu Nabbut, who governed Jaffa and Gaza between 1807 and 1818.

The residents of Al-Jiyya were Muslims, and the village had a mosque. Its children received education in the neighboring village of Barbara. The villagers installed a pump on one of the wells in the area to draw water for domestic use. Their primary occupation was agriculture, cultivating various types of grains, especially wheat. During the years 1944-1945, a total of 189 dunams were allocated to citrus and bananas, 8,004 dunams to grains, and 26 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards. Al-Jiyya was also known for its cheeses and other dairy products, which were sold in Gaza and Majdal. Among the archaeological remains found in Al-Jiyya were a stone column and remnants of a Roman mill.

Area:
The village of Al-Jiyya covered approximately 8,506 dunams. Before 1948, it had about 188 houses spread over 45 dunams, with an additional 250 dunams allocated for roads and valleys.

Population:
Before 1948, the population was approximately 1,427 people. Currently, it exceeds 12,000, most of whom live in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, the diaspora, the West Bank, Jordan, other Arab countries, Europe, and America.

Etymology:
The name Al-Jiyya may derive from the word “Al-Jawa,” meaning vast open land, or it may mean “the pleasant and beautiful place,” represented by wildflowers. It could also relate to the flatness of the land. However, it is more certain that the name comes from the fertility of its red clay soil and its slightly low elevation relative to sea level. According to local tradition, the village was originally called “Al-Juhtayn,” divided by a small street into two parts. One part migrated following an internal dispute and settled in the villages of Kawkaba and Huleikat. During Ottoman rule in Palestine, the inhabitants of Al-Jiyya and neighboring villages migrated due to insecurity and lived in the nearby ruin of Arza. When the Ottoman authorities established police centers and restored security, the residents returned to their village.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing:
Al-Jiyya fell under Israeli control following the fall of Majdal on November 4-5, 1948, at the end of Operation Yoav, one of the last major attacks of the conflict. Like most inhabitants of the area, the residents of Al-Jiyya likely fled or were expelled to the Gaza Strip, which was then overcrowded with residents and refugees.

The Village Today:
The village’s landmarks were completely destroyed. Some sycamore trees grow on the site, and the residents of the nearby Beit Shikma settlement cultivate melons on the surrounding lands.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands:
The Moshav Ginat and the settlement of Beit Shikma were established on Al-Jiyya’s lands in 1949 and 1950, respectively.

Aerial Photograph of Al-Jiyya Before 1948