al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya

Al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya was located in the coastal plain, to the north of the main road running northeast from the city of al-Majdal, where it intersected with the Jerusalem–Jaffa highway. The railway line leading to Gaza passed just north of the village. The descriptor “al-Gharbiyya” (“western”) was added to distinguish it from two neighboring villages that shared the same root name—al-Sawafir. Together, the three villages formed a right-angled triangle, the longest side of which extended in a northwest–southeast direction.

In 1596, al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya paid taxes on a number of agricultural products such as wheat, barley, fruit, as well as other sources of production and revenue, including goats, beehives, and vineyards.

By the late 19th century, the village contained several small orchards and wells. Its houses were mostly constructed of mud and brick, with some made of stone. The population was entirely Muslim, and the village featured a mosque, a shrine dedicated to Shaykh al-Baz, and a police station. The village shared a school with the other two al-Sawafir villages, which had approximately 280 students by the mid-1940s.

The local economy relied primarily on rain-fed agriculture. The villagers cultivated grains, citrus fruits, grapes, and apricots. According to 1944–1945 statistics:

• 6,663 dunums were allocated to grain cultivation,
• 585 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya also contained archaeological remains, suggesting it had been inhabited in earlier times. For example, the shrine of Shaykh al-Baz included repurposed ancient columns.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

According to two Israeli sources, the village fell during the early stages of Operation Barak. The residents were expelled either after the full-scale assault on the nearby village of Bayt Daras on 10 May 1948, or during the direct military assault on al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya on 18 May 1948. It is possible the village itself was also attacked on that same day.

However, an Egyptian account offers a different timeline. It states that the village did not fall until approximately a month later, or two weeks into the first truce of the war. In his memoirs, President Gamal Abdel Nasser—then a junior officer—strongly criticized the Egyptian military leadership for allowing Israeli forces to occupy the village along with its two neighboring counterparts.

Nasser wrote that, at the time the truce was announced, the three villages were free of Israeli soldiers. He sarcastically remarked that the Egyptian high command “chose to offer the enemy the opportunity to occupy these villages so that our forces could later recapture them.” Following the truce, orders were issued to retake the village—conditional on the successful capture of Bayt Daras, which was briefly entered by a Sudanese unit but subsequently lost due to a technical error and negligence.

During this period, Nasser conducted a reconnaissance mission of the village, infiltrating enemy lines to draft an attack plan. According to his memoirs, the Israeli forces stationed in the al-Sawafir villages were relatively small in number. Israeli military history sources also confirm that the Egyptians planned to recapture the village in early July, but were ultimately prevented from doing so.

The Village Today

All original homes in the village have been completely destroyed. Figs, sycamore trees, and other wild plants now grow on the site. An old rural road is still visible. The village cemetery is overgrown with grass and wild vegetation. What appears to be a water pump structure remains in the orchard of the al-Baz family. Surrounding lands are currently farmed by Israeli settlers.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

Two settlements were established on the lands of al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya:

• Merchavya Shapira, founded in 1948,
• Masu’ot Yitzhak, established in 1949.

Additionally, Ein Tzurim, built in 1949, lies near the site on lands formerly belonging to al-Sawafir al-Sharqiyya. Identifying the exact settlement locations is complicated due to numerous name changes since their founding. Furthermore, it appears that the settlement Dganim may have relocated from its original location on al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya lands to become part of Ein Tzurim.