Hulayqat

The village is located in a hilly area on the coastal plain, on the eastern edge of a valley just west of the Gaza-Julis highway parallel to the main coastal highway, 20.5 km from Gaza and at an average elevation of 100 meters above sea level. In 1945, the village had a population of 420 people distributed over 61 houses. They were Muslims whose primary economic activity was agriculture, while some of the villagers worked for the British Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) after oil exploration began in the area.

Displacement
On May 13, 1948, during Operation Barak, the peasants of Hulayqat and Kokba fled towards the Hebron Hills after the Hanegev Brigade attacked the village of Barbar. The Egyptian army recaptured the village on July 8, 1948, until the second truce, but violent battles erupted, causing the population to flee again, while it fell again on October 19-20, 1948. About 600 Egyptian soldiers were defending it, about 100 of whom were killed.

Colonization
There are no Israeli settlements on the village lands.

The village today
Forests cover some parts of the site, and sycamore trees, Christ’s thorns, and cactus grow on the site. A modern road has been built, covering one of the old roads.

Reference: Walid Khalidi, Lest We Forget, pp. 536, 537