al-Shuna

The village was situated on a hill overlooking the deep Wadi al-‘Amud, located northeast of Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee). Some of the village homes were built along the edge of the valley, opposite the hill. Several footpaths connected the village through surrounding valleys to the west and to nearby villages. In 1947, a road was constructed to link the village with the main roads leading to Safad, Tiberias, and Acre.

The Bedouin tribes of Arab al-Sayyada and Arab al-Qudayrat used to pitch their tents near the eastern edge of the village. Al-Shuna was roughly circular in shape, and its houses were built of stone and mud. Due to the steep cliffs bordering the village to the west and southeast, expansion in those directions was restricted, leading to new construction toward the east.

The majority of the village's residents were Muslim. The village contained a few shops, a mosque, and a school. Residents dug wells at the base of the western hills to collect rainwater for drinking.In 1944/1945, a total of 995 dunums was cultivated with cereals.

The nearby site of Khirbat al-Shuna contained the ruins of an earlier village, whose buildings were constructed of basalt stone. To the south of this site was Khirbat Sirin.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

There is no exact date recorded for the fall of Al-Shuna. However, given its location, it was likely occupied during Operation Yiftach, possibly in late April or early May 1948, alongside other neighboring villages, in preparation for the assault on Safad. No specific incidents following the occupation were found in available written records.

The Village Today

The hill on which the village once stood is now leveled, with the collapsed stone walls of destroyed houses scattered around. In Wadi al-‘Amud, two stone houses with arched doors and windows remain mostly intact, though abandoned.

The surrounding land has been converted into the Nahal ‘Amud Nature Reserve, which is also used by Israelis as a recreational area and grazing land.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements established on the lands of the village.

Source: All That Remains by Walid Khalidi.