‘Urayfiyya
Population :
1931 :
n.a.
1944/45 :
n.a.
The village
was classified as a hamlet by the Palestine
Index Gazetteer, and was situated on a slope at the foot of the Golan
Heights, overlooking the al-Hula Plain in the west.
Occupation
and Depopulation
Like almost all the
villages in the northwest corner of Palestine, al.-’Urayfiyya was overrun in
April—May 1948 during Operation Yiftach (see Abil al-Qamh, Safad District). It
is not known precisely when it was occupied by Zionist forces or what were the
circumstances of its depopulation. While some villages in its vicinity were
occupied at the beginning of May, others held out until the end of the
operation on 25 May. Its proximity to the Palestine—Syria border suggests that
it was the case for
the neighboring village of Khiyam al-Walid.
There are no Israeli settlements on
village land.
The site is deserted and overgrown with grass, thorns, a variety of trees, and cactuses. The remains of a masonry channel, which carried the water that powered a watermill, are visible.
Source(s):
al-Khalidi. All That Remains