al-Butayha

The village was situated in a hilly area near the Syrian border, approximately a quarter of a kilometer east of the Jordan River and two kilometers from Lake Tiberias. It overlooked a wide expanse of land south of the city of Tiberias. The name "Al-Batiha" means "marsh water." It was described by Al-Qalqashandi, who wrote in 1459, as a location in the Safad district. The modern Al-Batiha was classified as a farm in the Palestine Index Gazetteer, compiled during the Mandate period.

In 1944/1945, a total of 3,842 dunams of its lands were allocated for grain cultivation, and 238 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

The site of Al-Batiha indicates that it was targeted for occupation during Operation Matati (the Broom), carried out by the Haganah. This operation was separate from Operation Yiftach and was conducted on May 4, 1948. Its purpose was to clear the area north of Lake Tiberias and west of the Jordan River. Israeli historian Benny Morris notes that this operation significantly contributed to weakening the morale of the entire region’s inhabitants.

The Zionist forces justified their attack by alleging that the village residents harassed Jewish convoys traveling from the Roish Pina settlement. Al-Batiha was completely leveled the following day by Palmah units. Operation Matati resulted in the displacement of approximately 1,000 refugees to Syria, based on Syrian sources cited by Morris.

The Village Today

Only some basalt stone walls from the destroyed houses remain. Doum palm and olive trees grow among the ruins, which are still identifiable at the site. At the northern edge of the site, tall eucalyptus trees are found alongside scattered prickly pear cacti. There is an artificial water channel extending from north to south, turning east near the northern end of the site.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

The inhabitants of the Megor settlement (established in 1961) exploit the village lands. Approximately 200 meters south of the site is a park known as Herdan Park.