Syrian towns and villages depopulated in the Arab–Israeli conflict

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Destroyed building in Quneitra
File:Quneitra - Flickr - edbrambley.jpg
Destroyed buildings in Quneitra

Pre-1967 Syrian towns and villages on the Golan Heights

Before the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, the Golan Heights comprised 312 inhabited areas, including 2 towns, 163 villages, and 108 farms.[1] In 1966, the Syrian population of the Golan Heights was estimated at 147,613.[2] Israel seized about 70% of the Golan Heights in the closing stages of the Six-Day War.[3] Many of these residents fled during the fighting,[4] or were driven out by the Israeli army,[5][6] and some were evacuated by the Syrian army.[5] A cease-fire line was established and large parts of the region came under Israeli military control, including the town of Quneitra, about 139 villages and 61 farms.[1] Of these, the Census of Population 1967 conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces listed only eight, including Quneitra.[1] One of the remaining populated villages, Shayta, was partially destroyed in 1967 and a military post built in its place.[7] Between 1971–72 it was destroyed completely, with the remaining population forcibly transferred to Mas'ade, another of the populated villages under Israeli control.[7][8]

The Israeli Head of Surveying and Demolition Supervision for the Golan Heights proposed the demolition of 127 of the unpopulated villages, with about 90 abandoned villages to be demolished shortly after May 15, 1968.[9][10] The demolitions were carried out by contractors hired for the job.[6][10][11][12][13][14] After the demolitions, the lands were given to Israeli settlers.[15] There was an effort to preserve buildings of archaeological significance and buildings useful for the planned Jewish settlements.[10]

After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, parts of the occupied Golan Heights were returned to Syrian control, including Quneitra, which had changed hands several times during the war. According to a United Nations Special Committee, Israeli forces had deliberately destroyed the city before their 1974 withdrawal.[16]

Depopulated and demolished towns and villages

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See also

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Murphy & Gannon 2008, p. 24
  4. BBC News, Regions and territories: The Golan Heights
  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Sakr Abu Fakhr, "Voices from the Golan", Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Autumn, 2000), University of California Press, p. 7.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 "The Fate of Abandoned Arab Villages, 1965–1969" by Aron Shai, History & Memory Volume 18, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2006, pp. 86–106. "As the pace of the surveys increased in the West Bank, widespread operations also began on the Golan Heights, which had been captured from Syria during the war (figure 7). Dan Urman, whose official title was Head of Surveying and Demolition Supervision for the Golan Heights, was in charge of this task. Urman submitted a list of 127 villages for demolition to his bosses. … The demolitions were executed by contractors hired for the job. Financial arrangements and coordination with the ILA and the army were recorded in detail. Davidson commissioned surveys and demolition supervision from the IASS [Israel Archaeological Survey Society]. Thus, for example, in a letter dated 15 May 1968, he wrote to Ze'ev Yavin: 'Further to our meeting, this is to inform you that within a few days we will start demolishing about 90 abandoned villages on the Golan Heights (see attached list)."
  11. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. (2001) Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories J. Destruction of built-up areas and looting of property: "Following the occupation of the territory in 1967, the occupation authorities destroyed 244 villages and built-up areas in the Golan and expelled their population, sparing only five villages (Majdal Shams, Buq'ata, ‘Ayn Qunyah, Mas'ade and al-Ghajar)."
  15. "The Golan Heights under Israeli Occupation 1967–1981" p.5. "The remainder of 131 agricultural villages and 61 individual farms were wiped of the face of the earth by the Israeli occupation authorities immediately following the Israeli victory in the 1967 war. They were razed to the ground and their lands handed over to exclusive Israeli-Jewish settlement."
  16. (1974) Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories
  17. 17.000 17.001 17.002 17.003 17.004 17.005 17.006 17.007 17.008 17.009 17.010 17.011 17.012 17.013 17.014 17.015 17.016 17.017 17.018 17.019 17.020 17.021 17.022 17.023 17.024 17.025 17.026 17.027 17.028 17.029 17.030 17.031 17.032 17.033 17.034 17.035 17.036 17.037 17.038 17.039 17.040 17.041 17.042 17.043 17.044 17.045 17.046 17.047 17.048 17.049 17.050 17.051 17.052 17.053 17.054 17.055 17.056 17.057 17.058 17.059 17.060 17.061 17.062 17.063 17.064 17.065 17.066 17.067 17.068 17.069 17.070 17.071 17.072 17.073 17.074 17.075 17.076 17.077 17.078 17.079 17.080 17.081 17.082 17.083 17.084 17.085 17.086 17.087 17.088 17.089 17.090 17.091 17.092 17.093 17.094 17.095 17.096 17.097 17.098 17.099 17.100 17.101 17.102 17.103 17.104 17.105 17.106 17.107 17.108 17.109 17.110 17.111 17.112 17.113 17.114 17.115 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 18.16 18.17 18.18 18.19 18.20 18.21 18.22 18.23 18.24 18.25 18.26 18.27 18.28 18.29 18.30 18.31 18.32 18.33 18.34 18.35 18.36 18.37 18.38 18.39 18.40 18.41 18.42 18.43 18.44 18.45 18.46 18.47 18.48 18.49 18.50 Murphy & Gannon 2008, p28 + p69
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 19.12 19.13 19.14 19.15 19.16 19.17 19.18 19.19 19.20 19.21 19.22 19.23 19.24 19.25 19.26 19.27 19.28 19.29 19.30 19.31 19.32 19.33 19.34 19.35 19.36 19.37 19.38 19.39 19.40 19.41 19.42 19.43 19.44 19.45 19.46 19.47 19.48 19.49 19.50 19.51 19.52 19.53 19.54 19.55 19.56 19.57 19.58 19.59 19.60 19.61 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. – Map showing destroyed Arab villages.
  20. 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 20.14 20.15 20.16 20.17 20.18 20.19 20.20 20.21 20.22 20.23 20.24 20.25 20.26 20.27 20.28 20.29 20.30 20.31 20.32 20.33 20.34 20.35 20.36 20.37 20.38 20.39 20.40 20.41 20.42 20.43 20.44 20.45 20.46 20.47 20.48 20.49 20.50 20.51 20.52 20.53 20.54 20.55 20.56 20.57 20.58 20.59 20.60 Golan Heights and vicinity: October 1994 – CIA map showing abandoned/dismantled Syrian villages.
  21. 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 21.13 21.14 21.15 21.16 21.17 21.18 21.19 21.20 21.21 21.22 21.23 21.24 21.25 21.26 21.27 21.28 21.29 Murphy & Gannon 2008, p28 + p70
  22. 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 22.16 22.17 22.18 22.19 22.20 22.21 22.22 22.23 22.24 22.25 22.26 22.27 22.28 22.29 22.30 22.31 22.32 22.33 22.34 22.35 22.36 22.37 22.38 22.39 22.40 22.41 22.42 22.43 22.44 22.45 22.46 22.47 Murphy & Gannon 2008, p28 + p68
  23. 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 23.11 23.12 23.13 23.14 23.15 23.16 23.17 23.18 23.19 23.20 23.21 23.22 23.23 23.24 23.25 23.26 23.27 23.28 23.29 23.30 Murphy & Gannon 2008, p28 + p67
  24. 24.0 24.1 South Lebanon and Vicinity 1976, CIA map.
  25. Murphy & Gannon 2008, p 48
  26. Yaqut al-Hamawi, cited in le Strange, 1890, p. 485
  27. U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

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