Beit Awwa

Geography

From the east is Fuqeiqis, from the west is the Green Line (Israel), from the south is Sikka, Hebron, and from the north is As Simiya.

History

In 1838, during the Ottoman era, Edward Robinson noted Beit 'Auwa as a place "in ruins or deserted," part of the area between the mountains and Gaza, but subject to the government of el-Khulil. He further remarked that the ruins "covering low hills on both sides of the path, exhibiting foundations of hewn stones, from which all that can be inferred is, that here was once an extensive town."

In 1863, Victor Guérin visited Beit Awwa, which he called Khirbet Beit el-Haoua. He described finding many artificial caves, some of which were large and had shaped domes, other smaller with square ceilings. Most entries were surrounded by piles of stones from old demolished buildings.

In 1875, the PEF's Survey of Palestine visited Beit Awwa. They described several ruins, each with a different name; "Khurbet es Sueity, Khurbet el Mehami, Khurbet el Kusah are all sites with foundations and caves. El Kusr is an ancient watch-tower, with drystone walls in ruins; el Keniseh seems to be a ruined church; foundations, capitals, shafts, and lintels with the Maltese cross on them, remain showing a Byzantine building. There is also a fine font fitted for immersion. In the centre a square basin, 2 feet 3 inches side, 7 inches deep; four steps lead down, 5 inches high, 9 inches broad; the whole surrounded by four segmental recesses, the external form of the font being that of a rounded cross, the longest measurement either way being 5 feet, and the total height outside 2 feet 4 inches."

British Mandate era

At the time of the 1931 census of Palestine the population of Beit Awwa was counted under Dura.

Jordanian era

In November 1948, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War soldiers from the Israeli 5th Brigade attacked Beit Awwa, Idhna and Kh. Sikka. At Beit Awwa, the attackers were driven off. In March 1949, the 4th Brigade attacked Beit Awwa and surrounding villages. Their attack orders were to "hit every [adult male] Arab" they encountered. All in all, they drove out 7,000 people eastward. With UN the villagers were eventually allowed back.

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Beit Awwa came under Jordanian rule.

In 1961, the population of Beit Awwa was 1,368.

1967, aftermath

After the Six-Day War in 1967, Beit Awwa has been under Israeli occupation.

The population in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 1,468. After the 1967 six day war Beit Awwa was completely destroyed. Moshe Dayan claimed the destruction was carried out under the orders of an officer who wished to expel the residents, Brigadier General Uzi Narkiss claimed the credit for the action.

Its total land area is 470 dunams, 30% of it lands before 1948; due to the town's proximity Green Line hundreds of dunams are a part of modern-day Israel.

Economy

Beit Awwa is among the Hebron Governorate locations where almonds are cultivated.[[File:بلدة بيت عوا الفلسطينية .jpg|thumb]]

Population

The two prominent clans of Beit 'Awwa are Masalmea and Al Swaty. The Al Swaty clan relocated to the region either from ar-Ramtha, Jordan, or, according to another account, from what is today the northern West Bank, passing through the Judean Lowlands. The Masalmea family originated from Beit Jala.

References

Bibliography

References

1. (February 2018). "Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017". [[State of Palestine]].
2. Palmer, 1881, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp00conduoft#page/388/mode/1up 388]
3. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/117/mode/1up 117]
4. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/n27/mode/1up 10]
5. Guérin, 1869, p. [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiongog02gu#page/360/mode/1up 360]
6. Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III; p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/321/mode/1up 321]
7. Mills, 1932, p. [https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas 29]
8. Morris, 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uM_kFX6edX8C&pg=PA518 518]
9. Morris, 2004, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uM_kFX6edX8C&pg=PA520 520]
10. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p22.pdf 22]
11. Perlmann, Joel. (November 2011 – February 2012). "The 1967 Census of the West Bank and Gaza Strip: A Digitized Version".
12. [https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/858C88EB973847F4802564B5003D1083 UN Doc A/8389 of 5 October 1971] A/8389 of 5 October 1971. Para 57. ''in the Sunday Times (London) on 11 October 1970, where reference is made not only to the villages of [[Jalou]], [[Beit Nuba]], and [[Imwas]], also referred to by the Special Committee in its first report, but in addition to villages like [[Surit]], Beit Awwa, Beit Mirsem and [[El-Shuyoukh]] in the Hebron area and [[Jiflik]], Agarith and Huseirat, in the Jordan Valley. The Special Committee has ascertained that all these villages have been completely destroyed.'' Para 58. ''the village of [[Nebi Samwil]] was in fact destroyed by Israeli armed forces on March 22, 1971.''
13. Segev, 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ggLatcD7gW4C&pg=PA409 409]
14. link. (July 14, 2009 Land Research Center. 2008-06-01.)
15. Ighbareyeh, Jehad Mahmoud Hussein. (2018-11-09). "Analysis of physical factors of climate and bioclimate and their effects on almonds production to increase the economy in Hebron area of Palestine". Arabian Journal of Geosciences.
16. [http://vprofile.arij.org/hebron/pdfs/Beit%20'Awwa_pr_en.pdf Beit 'Awwa village profile], ARIJ, 2009
17. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Bayt__Awwa_2095/Article_8629.html Beit Awwa] Palestine Remembered. {{in lang. ar
18. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Bayt__Awwa_2095/index.html Palestine Remembered English]
19. Grossman, D.. (1994). "Expansion and Desertion: the Arab Village and its Offshoots in Ottoman Palestine". Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi.