al-Dawwara

The village was built on a flat tract of land overlooking a broad area to the north and facing Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Shaykh) to the northeast. It was located near the confluence of three rivers—Hasbani, Banyas, and Dan—that flowed into Lake Hula. A secondary road connected the village to a main road leading to the city of Safad.

According to the 1931 census, the population of Al-Dawwara consisted entirely of Muslims, with the exception of a single Christian resident. While there are no detailed records from 1945, it is known that the majority of the population at that time were Muslims.

The older homes of Al-Dawwara were clustered together, separated by narrow alleys. By the end of the British Mandate period, the village had expanded, with newer houses built farther apart. Most homes were constructed from mud, though some were built with black basalt stone. Agriculture was the main source of livelihood for the villagers. They cultivated grains, vegetables, and citrus fruits, with some crops relying on rainfall and others irrigated from nearby springs and rivers.

In the agricultural year 1944/1945, a total of:

· 68 dunums were planted with citrus and bananas,

· 281 dunums were used for grain cultivation,

· and 2,135 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Occupation and Depopulation

An Israeli military intelligence report listed Al-Dawwara among the villages whose residents fled on 25 May 1948 as a result of a psychological warfare campaign orchestrated by Palmach commander Yigal Allon, as part of Operation Yiftach. However, a discrepancy between the date cited by Israeli historian Benny Morris (25 May) and the date the psychological campaign is believed to have begun (10 May) suggests that a military assault on the village may also have contributed to the displacement of its inhabitants.

The Village Today

No recognizable structures from the village remain, except for a few scattered stones near a fish pond. The entire area has been converted into fish farming ponds.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

·The settlement of Ayelet HaShahar was established in 1919, approximately half a kilometer west of the village site.

·The settlement of Sde Nehemia was established in 1940, to the northwest of the site.

Both settlements were built on land that originally belonged to Al-Dawwara.