al-Jiyya

The village was located in a sandy area of ​​the southern coastal plain, surrounded by hills and known for its valleys. It is 19 kilometers from Gaza, with an average elevation of 50 meters above sea level. The coastal highway and the railway line passed by the village on its western side. In 1945, the village’s population reached 1,230 people, distributed over 188 houses. They were all Muslims, while their fathers received their education in the neighboring village of Barbara. They depended mainly on agriculture.

Displacement
The village fell into the hands of the Zionist forces with the fall of Majdal on November 4-5 at the end of Operation Yoav, which was one of the last major operations in the war. The villagers fled or were expelled to the Gaza Strip, which was then crowded with people and refugees.

Colonization
In 1949, the colony of Moshav Ge’a was established, and in 1950, the colony of Beit Shikma was established.

The village today
The village’s landmarks were completely destroyed, but some sycamore trees grow on the site, and the residents of the Beit Shikma settlement grow melons on the adjacent lands.

Reference: Walid Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 533, 534.