‘Ayn Ghazal

The village of Ayn Ghazal was built at the edge of a valley on the upper slopes of Mount Carmel, near a main road connecting Haifa to Tel Aviv. This strategic location gave the village particular significance during the 1948 war.

By the late 19th century, Ayn Ghazal was a small village built from stone and mud, with a population of about 150 residents, all of whom were Muslim. They cultivated approximately 35 faddans (1 faddan = 100–250 dunams). The village had a boys’ primary school, established around 1886 during the Ottoman era, as well as a girls’ primary school and a cultural-sports club. Water was piped to the village from nearby wells that were dug during the 1940s.

The village economy was based on livestock rearing and agriculture. In 1944–1945, approximately 1,400 dunams were planted with olive trees, and 8,472 dunams were allocated for grain cultivation. Proximity to Haifa also allowed some residents to work in the port and commercial sectors of the city.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

The New York Times, citing a Jewish newspaper, reported that on 14 March 1948, the village was attacked and four houses were completely destroyed. According to the British police, one Palestinian woman was killed and five men were wounded in the assault. The newspaper Falastin had reported an earlier attack on 10 March, but without details.

Roughly two months later, on 20 May 1948, another attack took place. An Associated Press correspondent reported that Haganah forces stormed Ayn Ghazal after snipers had blocked movement on the Haifa–Tel Aviv road. No casualties were reported from that incident.

Ayn Ghazal, along with the nearby villages of Ijjzim and Jaba‘, formed what came to be known as the “Little Triangle” south of Haifa. These villages resisted several Israeli attacks and remained uncaptured until the end of July 1948.

Three major attempts were made to seize the villages. The first two, on 18 June and 8 July, were repelled by the defenders. During the third attempt, the Israeli army exploited the Second Truce to launch a major assault involving special forces from the Golani, Carmeli, and Alexandroni brigades. The operation began on 24 July with intense artillery shelling and aerial bombardment that lasted a full day.

Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett later falsely claimed to the UN mediator that “no aircraft were used.” However, on 26 July, the Associated Press confirmed that Israeli planes and infantry had violated the truce by attacking the three villages.

Despite the intensity of the offensive, the villages were not occupied until two days later, and Israeli soldiers continued shooting at fleeing villagers during their retreat.

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, villagers who were captured were forced to bury between 10 and 25 charred bodies in Ayn Ghazal. Some reports alleged that a massacre had occurred. Israeli officials denied the claims, stating that the bodies had been burned because they were already deceased and decomposing.

At the time, The New York Times reported that Israeli liaison officers had acknowledged to UN truce observers that nine villagers had been killed in Ayn Ghazal. The UN found no conclusive evidence of a massacre, but its investigators later estimated the number of dead and missing from the three villages at approximately 130, as reported in mid-September.

UN mediator Count Folke Bernadotte condemned the systematic destruction of Ayn Ghazal, Ijjzim, and Jaba‘ by Israeli forces and demanded that Israel rebuild the homes at its own expense and allow the 8,000 displaced residents to return. Israel refused.

The Village Today

Only the dilapidated shrine of Shaykh Shahada remains standing at the site. Ruins of houses and heaps of stones are scattered throughout the area, which is now covered with pine, fig, and pomegranate trees, prickly pear cacti, and wild vegetation. The site is currently used as grazing land, while the adjacent flat lands are cultivated with vegetables, bananas, and other fruits. Almond trees have been planted on some of the surrounding slopes.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

The settlement of Ein Ayala (1145226) was established in 1949, 3 kilometers southeast of the village site. Contrary to Benny Morris’s claim, it is not located on village land. However, the settlement of Ofer (1148225) was built in 1950 on Ayn Ghazal’s lands, 2 kilometers southeast of the village.