al-Zawiya

Al-Zawiya was a village situated on flat terrain in the western half of the Hula Plain. A secondary road connected it to the main road running to the west, which led to Safad (Safed). The village originally consisted of two clusters of houses, located on either side of an irrigation canal that diverted water from the Jordan River. A bridge spanned the canal, linking the two sections of the village.

The population of Al-Zawiya was predominantly Muslim, and small shops lined both sides of the canal. The villagers cultivated vegetables and fruits, primarily to the east and south of the village site. Fruit orchards were especially concentrated to the east, and cereal crops were also grown. In 1944/1945, a total of 1,593 dunums of land was allocated to the cultivation of grains.

Occupation and Depopulation

Al-Zawiya was among the villages occupied in late May 1948, during the Israeli military advance to take control of the Eastern Galilee. According to a report prepared by Israeli military intelligence, the village was depopulated on 24 May 1948 as a result of a direct military assault. This action occurred as part of Operation Yiftach.

The Village Today

No physical traces or identifiable features remain from the former village of Al-Zawiya. The site has been fully integrated into the agricultural lands of the Israeli settlement of Tzomet Mordechai, and is currently covered by cotton fields.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements located directly on the lands of the former village. However, the settlement of Tzomet Mordechai, established in 1946, lies less than two kilometers north of the original village site.

Source: All That Remains by Walid Khalidi.