Al-Dawwara

Al-Dawwara
Al-Dawwara
Arabic	الدوّارة
Subdistrict	Safad
Coordinates
Palestine grid	209/287
Population	1100 (1945)
Area	5470 dunams
Date of depopulation	May 25, 1948
Cause(s) of depopulation	Whispering campaign

Al-Dawwara (Arabic: الدوّارة‎‎) was a Palestinian Arab village in the Safad Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the 1948 War on May 25, 1948 by the Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach. It was located 27 km northeast of Safad, bordering three rivers that flowed into lake al-Hula: the al-Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan rivers.

In 1945 the village had a population of 1,100 (this figure included 400 Jewish residents of the Kibbutzim ‘Amir and Sde Nehemia).

History

Al-Dawwara was located on flat terrain, and faced Mount Herrmon (Jabal al-Shaykh) to the northeast. It was near the confluence of three rivers that flowed into Lake Hula: the al-Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan rivers and a road linked it to a highway that led to Safad.

According to the 1931, the entire population was Muslim except for one Christian and the residents were employed mostly in agriculture, growing gram, vegetables, and citrus. In 1944/45 a total of 68 dunums was allocated to the growing of citrus fruits and bananas and 281 dunums was allocated to cereals. A total of 2,135 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The older houses in the village was separated by narrow alleys and mostly made of mud and some with basalt stones.

On receiving news of an imminent attack on the village by Operation Yiftach, many villagers fled on May 25, 1948, but some sources have indicated that some military force in practice was used to drive out the Arabs from the village.

Today there are few remnants of Al-Dawwara except for some stones near a fish pond and today the area is a notable fish hatchery. Kibbutz ‘Amir was established in 1939 about 0.5 km west of the site, and Sde Nechemya in 1940 to the northwest.

Al-Dawwara, 1946