Dayr Sunayd دير سنيد Deir Suneid, Deir Sineid, Der Esned[1] | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: "Monastery of the declivity"[2] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Dayr Sunayd (click the buttons) | |
  Dayr Sunayd Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°34′28″N34°33′18″E / 31.57444°N 34.55500°E /31.57444; 34.55500 | |
| Palestine grid | 107/109 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Gaza |
| Date of depopulation | Late October or early November 1948[5] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.1 km2 (2.4 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 730[3][4] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | None |
Dayr Sunayd (Arabic:دير سنيد) was aPalestinian Arab village in theGaza Subdistrict, located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) northeast ofGaza. Situated at an elevation of 50 meters (160 ft) along the southern coastal plain ofPalestine, Deir Sunayd had a total land area of 6,081dunams.[6] Prior to its depopulation during the1948 Arab–Israeli War, it had 730 inhabitants in 1945.[7]
The first part of its name "Dayr" is Arabic for "Monastery", suggesting that it was once the site of a monastic order or a Christian population possibly resided there at one point of time. "Sunayd" was the name of anArab tribe in the area.[7]
Under theOttoman Empire, in the 1596tax records, Dayr Sunayd was noted in thenahiya of Gaza, part ofSanjak of Gaza, with a population of 12 households, an estimated 66 persons, allMuslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, fruit, beehives and goats; a total of 4,600akçe.[8]
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the area of Dayr Sunayd experienced a significant process of settlement decline due tonomadic pressures on local communities. The residents of abandoned villages moved to surviving settlements, but the land continued to be cultivated by neighboring villages.[9] The village survived to appear under the name ofDeir Esni on the map thatPierre Jacotin compiled from data collected in 1799.[10]
In 1838,Edward Robinson noted it under the name ofDeir Esneid;[11] a Muslim village, located in the Gaza district.[12]
In 1863, French explorerVictor Guérin found the village, which he calledDeir Essneid, to have 150 inhabitants. Its gardens were mainly planted withfigs.[13] An Ottoman village list from about 1870 found that the village had a population of 144, in a total of 51 houses, though the population count included men, only.[1][14]
In the late 19th century, Dayr Sunayd was a moderate-sized village that was rectangular in shape, split into four quadrants by two roads that crossed at right angles. It hadadobe brick houses, eight wells, gardens, a pond, and at the center of the village was a mosque.[15]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Dair Sunait had a population of 356 inhabitants, all Muslims,[16] increasing in the1931 census to 475, still all Muslim, in 103 houses.[17]
By the end of the British Mandate period, Dayr Sunayd had expanded west toward the coastal highway. A school was opened in 1945 with an enrollment of 63 students and a number of small shops were opened there as well. Agriculture was the primary source of income for most residents, followed by commerce.[7]
In the1945 statistics Dayr Sunayd had a population of 730, all Muslims,[3] with a total of 6,081dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[4] Of this, 158 dunams were used for citrus and bananas, 512 dunams were for plantations and irrigable land, 4,863 for cereals,[18] while 13 dunams were built-up land.[19]
The date on which Dayr Sunayd was captured during the1948 Arab-Israeli War cannot be specified, but the village was probably seized by Israeli forces in late October or early November 1948. It had come under aerial bombardment inOperation Yoav on October 15–16, according to Israeli historianBenny Morris.The New York Times reported that it was "pummeled" again on October 21.[7]
Dayr Sunayd also witnessed fighting in the early stages if the war, as Egyptian and Jewish forces battled for control of the village and the nearby town ofYad Mordechai shortly after May 15, 1948. The late president ofEgypt,Gamal Abdel Nasser said that when he spent the night at the Gaza Military Hospital, "the beds around me were filled with our wounded from the battle of Dayr Sunayd, which was still in progress". Abdel Nasser was critical of the Egyptian command's strategy at the battle, but nonetheless, it ended in an Egyptian victory "after heavy sacrifices and in spite of all the difficulties our forces encountered". Abdel Nasser's colleagueAbdel Hakim Amer participated in the battle.[7]
Following the war the area was incorporated into theState of Israel, with the village's lands left undeveloped. According toPalestinian historianWalid Khalidi, the remains of Dayr Sunayd consisted in 1992 of "A railroad bridge, unused segments of track, and three of the train station's buildings are all that remain of Dayr Sunayd. The stone bridge is built astride a wadi and passes over four wide, round-arched culverts. The station's buildings are deserted and in a state of deterioration."[7]
