Bayt Jirja
March 3, 2024Bi’lin
March 3, 2024Beit Tima is located in the southern coastal plain, 21 kilometers from Gaza, and at an average elevation of 75 meters above sea level, it is an area rich in ancient ruins. It was connected by a side road leading to the coastal highway, which facilitated communication with Gaza and Majdal. Its population reached 1,060 in 1945, most of whom were Muslims who worked in rain-fed agriculture. They were distributed among 157 closely packed mud houses.
Displacement
A Zionist force attempted to infiltrate the village on February 9, 1948, but the village defenders repelled the attempt. Aerial and artillery bombardment in mid-October 1948 led to the flight of many of the villagers, and it was occupied on October 18-19 during the early stages of Operation Yoav, by the Givati Brigade.
Colonization
There are no Israeli settlements on the village lands
The village today
Sycamore and carob trees grow around the rubble on the site, and the land is used for agriculture.
Reference: Walid Al-Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 523, 524.