Hiribya

The village was located to the south on a coastal plain flat patch of dunes. A secondary road connected it to the coastal highway that passed two kilometers to the east, to connect it with Gaza and Majdal. It is located 14 kilometers from Gaza and has an average elevation of 52 meters above sea level. Its population reached 2,300 people in 1945. Its location dates back to the Canaanite period. It was also known to the Crusaders, who called it Forbi. The village witnessed a decisive battle in 1244 between Muslim forces and a joint force of Crusaders and some Muslims who fought with them in Syria. This battle comes in strategic importance after the Battle of Hattin which took place in 1187.

The village had a water basin, and a well, and was surrounded by several orchards. To the south of it were the remains of a Crusader castle, remains of a tower, buildings, and basins to the southwest of the village. These remains indicate that it was inhabited in ancient times. Khirbet ash-Sharaf turned out to be the Roman town of Diocletianopolis (also known as Serafia) and a little to the east was the Byzantine site of Khirbet al-Yasmina.

Displacement
The village was attacked in October 1948 during Operation Yoav and was bombed from the air on October 15-16 along with other towns and villages in the area. Later, during the same operation, an attack on Hiribia was planned, and it likely fell to the Israeli forces in early November shortly after the occupation of al-Majdal (a few kilometers to the north) at the end of Operation Yoav.

Colonization
The colonies of Zikim and Karmiya were established in 1949 and 1950 on village lands, while the colony of Yad Mordechai, which had been established in 1943, expanded to occupy village lands.

The village today
All that remains of it is its mosque (It is now used as a storehouse) and the house of Muhammad Attia. Aloe vera, chamomile, jujube, and sycamore cover the site, while the surrounding lands are planted with wheat, avocado, and other crops.

Reference: Walid Al-Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 581-583.