Bayt Umm al-Mays

The village of Bayt Umm al-Mays was located 14 kilometers from Jerusalem. It was situated in a mountainous area, bordered by two deep valleys to the northeast and southwest, which converged to the northwest of the village. This combination of high elevations and deep valleys on three sides conferred a degree of strategic importance to the village.

The inhabitants were Muslims, and they obtained their drinking water from two springs located to the southwest of the village. The local economy was based on agriculture, primarily the cultivation of grains and fruit.

Although the exact circumstances of the village’s capture are unknown, it is almost certain that it was occupied during Operation Ha-Har, which involved an advance through the southern part of the Jerusalem corridor following the second truce. Zionist sources indicate that the village most likely fell to the Harel Brigade on 21 October 1948.

There are no Zionist settlements on the village lands. The site is now overgrown with wild grasses that grow around the remains of stone terraces. Almond, olive, and fig trees have also taken root on some of the terraces.