al-Buwayziyya

The village was located at the western edge of the Hula Plain, at the base of the rocky slopes of Mount Amel. It lay to the west of a main road extending from the city of Tiberias to the Palestinian village of Al-Mutalla, situated at the far north of Palestine. The village contained several springs that provided water to its inhabitants.

In 1937, a boys’ elementary school was opened in Al-Buwayziyah. The population of Al-Buwayziyah, mostly Muslims, earned their livelihood through agriculture and cultivated a relatively large area of land. While primarily growing citrus fruits and other fruits, they also cultivated grains and vegetables. During 1944/1945, a total of 2,770 dunams were allocated for grain cultivation, and 56 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

Jewish forces seized Al-Buwayziyah on May 11, 1948, during the offensive on Eastern Galilee known as Operation Yiftach. Israeli historian Benny Morris notes that the residents of Al-Buwayziyah fled upon hearing of the fall of the nearby village of Al-Khalisa, located about 5 kilometers to the north. Al-Khalisa was evacuated after its residents refused the Haganah’s request to negotiate a surrender agreement.

In the absence of such an arrangement, the residents were also affected by the fall of Safad the following day, which further demoralized the inhabitants of the subdistrict’s villages.

The Village Today

The site where Al-Buwayziyah once stood still bears the ruins of destroyed houses, some walls, terraces, and a concrete roof (intact) over one of the houses. The Israelis cultivate the flat portions of the adjacent lands, while the lands spreading over the hills are used as grazing areas for livestock.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

The Zionists annexed the village lands to the settlement of Mahanaim, which was established in 1939 near the village site.