Tall al-Turmus

Tal al-Turmus was situated on a low hill in the coastal plain, with Wadi al-Marj running along its southern outskirts. Secondary roads connected it to neighboring villages and to a main road leading southwest to al-Majdal. According to its inhabitants, Tal al-Turmus was established over a century ago. Its name appears to reflect the vegetation surrounding the area.

The population, entirely Muslim, initially built their homes of brick on the hilltop. The village later expanded beyond its original site to the east and west. It contained a mosque and shared a school with the nearby village of Qastina, approximately 15 kilometers to the northeast, which had 160 registered students in the mid-1940s. Agriculture formed the economic backbone of the village, with residents cultivating grains, vegetables, and fruit. In 1944–1945, a total of 154 dunums were dedicated to citrus and bananas, 10,328 dunums to grains, and 627 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The village also had an ancient well.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

As the first truce of the war was nearing its end, Israeli forces on the southern front planned a major offensive south of Ramla toward the Negev, named Operation An-Far. Tal al-Turmus likely fell at the beginning of this operation, around 9–10 July 1948, to the 1st Battalion of the Givati Brigade. It is probable that its residents were among the minority of the local population expelled during this operation via a corridor controlled by Israel toward Gaza, rather than eastward toward Hebron.

The Village Today

The remains of houses are scattered throughout the site. Near the location, clusters of prickly pear cactus, sycamore trees, and eucalyptus trees grow. The surrounding lands are cultivated by Israeli farmers.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

The settlement of Timorim was established on the village lands in 1954.