Bayt Daras

The village was located on flat land that gradually rose to the west, and had a network of unpaved roads that connected it to neighboring villages such as Isdud and Julis, making it a rural center. It is located 32 kilometers from Gaza at an average elevation of 50 meters above sea level and had a population of 2,750 people in 1945, distributed over 401 houses. It had two mosques and an elementary school, and most of its residents worked in seasonal agriculture.

Displacement
Zionist forces attacked Beit Daras for the first time in the first weeks of the war, as the village witnessed random mortar shelling on March 27-28, 1948, killing nine civilians and harming crops and animals. On May 10, 1948, the Givati ​​Brigade shelled Beit Daras with artillery before the ground attack that led to its occupation at the beginning of Operation Barak. The residents fled during the attack and their homes were blown up as part of Plan Dalet.

Colonization
In 1950, three colonies were established on the village lands: Azrika, Emunim, and Givati. Later, a farm called Zmorot was established on the site of Khirbet Awda in the village.

The village today
All that remains of the village buildings is the foundation of a single house and some scattered debris. Wild plants cover the site, and at least one of the old streets is still visible. The surrounding lands are cultivated by residents of the neighboring colonies.

Reference: Walid Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 521, 522.