Ni’ilya

The village of Na‘liya was built on a flat tract of land in the coastal plain, north of an earlier settlement that had been buried under sand dunes. When the dunes began encroaching on Na‘liya from the south, the villagers resisted by planting fruit trees to halt their advance.

Secondary roads connected the village to the town of Al-Majdal, located about 3 kilometers to the southwest, and to the coastal highway, which lay at a short distance.

In 1569, Na‘liya was registered as a village in the subdistrict (nahiya) of Gaza (in the Gaza liwa), with a population of 440. It paid taxes on various agricultural products such as wheat, barley, sesame, and fruits, in addition to other items of production and assets including goats, beehives, and vineyards.

By the late 19th century, Na‘liya was surrounded by fruit and olive orchards that extended all the way to Al-Majdal. Sand encroaching from the coast had been repelled using hedges of prickly pear (sabra) plants. The village had a trapezoidal shape with its base extending northeastward. Narrow alleyways separated its homes, some of which were built from mud brick and others from cement. A number of homes were constructed within fruit orchards. The village expanded along the road leading to Al-Majdal.

On the southern edge of the village stood a mosque adorned with inscriptions, surrounded by remnants of older buildings and shrines containing the remains of martyrs who had died in battles against the Crusaders. The children of Na‘liya attended school in Al-Majdal. Although a village school had been completed in the winter of 1948, it never opened due to the outbreak of war.

There were several small shops in the village. The economy of Na‘liya relied primarily on agriculture. Villagers cultivated rainfed grains and a variety of fruits, including citrus, grapes, figs, and apricots. In 1944–1945, a total of:

• 2,215 dunums were allocated to grains,
• and 1,436 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Fruit orchards in the village were irrigated with water from artesian wells.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

Na‘liya was likely among the last villages to be seized by Israeli forces in the southern region. It was captured around the same time as Al-Majdal, most likely on November 4, 1948, following Operation Yoav. Israeli forces succeeded in taking Al-Majdal and the surrounding villages during this operation.

The Village Today

The village has been completely destroyed. The site is now overgrown with wild vegetation and a few sycamore trees. One house remains standing—originally built amid fruit orchards—and is currently inhabited by a Palestinian family. This house has a flat roof, rectangular windows, and doors.

The surrounding lands are currently cultivated by Israeli farmers.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

The city of Ashkelon, established in 1948, is located to the northwest of the village site. The city has since expanded and now encompasses the lands that once belonged to Na‘liya.