Hamama

The village is located on a flat patch of coastal plain two kilometers from the seashore, surrounded by long dunes from the east and west, while the coastal highway and railway line pass near it. It is 24 kilometers from Gaza and has an average elevation of 25 meters above sea level. It was known as the Byzantine site of Belaya and witnessed a battle between the Crusaders and Muslims in 1099. In 1596, Hamama was a village in the Gaza district (Liwaa Azza) with a population of 462. In 1945, the population was 3,405, most of whom were Muslims who worked in agriculture and fishing.

Displacement
The village was subjected to a series of attacks in January 1948, when residents of the Netzarim settlement attacked a group of village farmers. The attacks were repeated, killing and wounding other residents. On October 28, 1948, the village was occupied during the third phase of Operation Yoav, after several refugees from previous attacks had gathered there. This phase witnessed the expulsion and flight of residents. It is worth noting that a massacre occurred on October 29, 1948, in the village of Al-Dawayima, which led to further flight of residents.

Colonization
On the village lands, the Netzarim settlement was established in 1943, and the Netzarim-Kfar Hano’ar settlement in 1949. The Beit Ezra settlement was built on the village lands in 1950. A farm called Eshkolot was also established on the village lands in the 1950s.

The village today
No trace remains of the village’s houses or landmarks. The site is covered with wild plants, tall grasses, bramble, blackberries, and cactus, while the surrounding lands are left unused.

Reference: Walid Al-Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 537-540.