Ishwa'

The village of Ishwa is located 27 kilometers west of Jerusalem, situated on the road between Beit Jibrin and Bab al-Wad, approximately midway between the ‘Artuf Station and the entrance to Bab al-Wad, each about 4 kilometers away. The village lies north of Wadi Kisla, which is known as Wadi Ishwa when it enters the village lands. This wadi merges with Wadi Ismail at a point west of ‘Artuf and south of Sur‘a, together forming Wadi al-Sarar.

Ishwa is one of the ancient Canaanite villages whose name was altered or slightly corrupted; its original Canaanite name was Ishta‘ul, as mentioned in the book Our Country Palestine by al-Dabbagh. The village was established at an elevation of 275 meters above sea level. In the center of the village was a water spring called Bir Ishwa, which was covered with reinforced concrete and had three doors from which water was drawn using buckets. The well was surrounded by basins filled with water used for watering livestock such as cattle and sheep.

Several ruins surround Ishwa, including Khirbet Hamada and Khirbet Sheikh Ibrahim, located southeast of the village, and Khirbet Deir Abi Qabus, located to the north.

The total area of the village was 5,522 dunams, most of which was cultivated with trees such as olive, fig, grape, pomegranate, and almond, as well as grains like wheat and corn.

According to the 1945 census, the population of Ishwa was 620 people living in 126 houses on a land area of 18 dunams, with roads covering 66 dunams.

In 1948, Zionist militias forcibly displaced the residents of Ishwa, destroyed the village completely, and established the colony of Ishta‘ul on its lands, retaining the village’s original Canaanite name.