Qaqun

Qaqun was situated on a hill overlooking the Qaqun Plain, with the Tulkarm–Haifa railway passing half a kilometer to its east. It had road connections to Tulkarm and neighboring villages.

It was a historically significant site, originally a Crusader stronghold connected to Caesarea and heavily damaged during the Crusades.

·It was known by multiple names (Quaquo, Chaco, Caco).

·In 1267, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars captured and rebuilt the fortress, converted a church into a mosque, reopened markets, and established it as a commercial hub with a khan and postal station on the Gaza–Damascus route.

·Described in the 15th century by al-Qalqashandi as a pleasant town with a mosque, bathhouse, and fortress.

Ottoman Period:

·In 1596, Qaqun was the center of its subdistrict in the Nablus district, with 127 residents paying taxes on wheat, barley, goats, and beehives.

19th Century:

·The village was attacked by Napoleon’s forces in 1799.

·It was later captured by Ibrahim Pasha (Egypt) during his Syrian campaign due to local resistance.

·By the late 1800s, it was a large village built around the Crusader-Mamluk fortress, with stone and mud houses, surrounded by agricultural land.

British Mandate Era:

·The population was Muslim, with a central mosque and a boys’ elementary school.

· Agriculture was the main livelihood, focusing on watermelon, vegetables (e.g., cucumbers), olives, citrus, and grains.

· In 1944–45:

o    713 dunums were used for citrus/bananas.

o    34,376 dunums for grains.

o    210 dunums for orchards (80 for olives).

·         Notable archaeological remains included the fortress, mosque, and other historic buildings.

Occupation and Depopulation (1948)

·Early Attacks:

o    On 6 March 1948, the Irgun launched a hit-and-run raid.

o    On 7 March, according to Filastin, a large attacking unit failed to enter the village but injured two women with grenades.

·Military Planning:

o    By early May 1948, Qaqun was among the last coastal villages in the area.

o    Haganah intelligence officers decided on 9 May to evacuate or subdue Qaqun and other villages, per historian Benny Morris.

o    The plan was not executed immediately.

·Main Battle:

o    On the night of 4–5 June 1948, the Alexandroni Brigade’s 3rd Battalion launched a coordinated assault with heavy artillery.

o    Iraqi army units defended the village.

o    The battle lasted through the night and into the next day.

o    New York Times described it as one of the bloodiest battles up to that date, involving hand-to-hand combat and use of grenades and bayonets.

o    Israeli forces eventually prevailed.

o    Israeli losses: 12 killed; Iraqi forces: entire battalion (45 soldiers) reportedly killed.

o    Both sides used air support.

o    Later attempts to seize nearby villages failed, but clashes continued around Qaqun for several days.

·Aftermath:

o    By 7 June, a Jewish National Fund official considered demolishing the village.

o    Some residents remained until at least July 1949.

o    International warnings delayed full expulsion.

o    On 28 July, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett acknowledged Qaqun and other villages could not be cleared as had happened in Fallujah, due to prior international commitments.