Abu Zurayq

The village was located on the northern slopes of hills in a region known as Bilad al-Ruha’—”the fragrant land”—overlooking the Jezreel Valley (Marj Ibn Amir). Some of its houses were also built on a small hill adjacent to the main Haifa–Jenin road. The name Abu Zurayq likely refers to the Bedouin tribe that had settled in the area.

The village’s inhabitants were Muslims. Their homes, somewhat spread apart, were constructed from stone and mud, or stone and cement, with roofs made of cement—or, in some cases, mud, clay, and wood. Abu Zurayq contained a mosque and a boys’ elementary school. The village relied on several water sources, including Wadi Abu Zurayq and a local spring known as Ain Wazir.

The economy of Abu Zurayq was based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Grains were the principal crops, although residents also cultivated vegetables in irrigated orchards. In 1942–1943, approximately 100 dunams were planted with olive trees, and the villagers also grew fruit trees. One dunam was planted with citrus. By 1944–1945, a total of 1,092 dunams were allocated to grain cultivation, and 282 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards.

Adjacent to the village was an archaeological site likely dating to the Bronze and Iron Ages, though it also contained artifacts from the early Islamic period. In the elevated terraces beneath the village, a substantial number of Paleolithic stone tools were discovered. To the northwest of Ain Abu Zurayq lie the remains of an isolated Roman-era farm.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of the Village

Palmach forces took control of Abu Zurayq on April 12, 1948, following a brief occupation three days earlier. According to The New York Times, this occurred after the Haganah violated a two-day truce, launching an offensive from the Mishmar HaEmek settlement and occupying a number of surrounding villages.

The Battle of Mishmar HaEmek had begun on April 4. After entering Abu Zurayq, Palmach forces reportedly captured 15 adult men along with approximately 200 women and children, according to Israeli historian Benny Morris. While the fate of the men remains undocumented, the women and children were expelled toward Jenin.

The newspaper Filastin offered a more detailed account. Its correspondent wrote that, at dawn the day after the village’s occupation, a Haganah unit stationed to the north discovered villagers—elderly people, women, and children—lying face-down in the fields. They surrounded them and opened fire, killing two women and four children, and capturing thirty others. Later, an Arab unit attacked the site, rescued the villagers, and escorted them safely to Jenin.

Morris cites Israeli sources as reporting that some of Abu Zurayq’s houses were demolished the night of its occupation, and that the destruction was completed by April 15. This is supported by The New York Times, which attributed to British sources the claim that remaining houses in the village were blown up by Haganah forces on April 16.

Filastin reported that thirty houses were destroyed during the assault on the village, five of which were still inhabited at the time.

The Village Today

The site is now covered with cactus plants, as well as fig and olive trees. The nearby flatlands are cultivated for agriculture, while the uneven terrain in the surrounding hills is used as pastureland.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements on the lands of the former village. However, the settlement of Mishmar HaEmek, established in 1936, lies nearby to the north.