Al-Dumun خربة الدامون Khirbet al Damun[1] | |
|---|---|
 Damon prison, 2010 | |
| Etymology: Duweimîn, the little dôm trees, a kind ofZizyphus[2] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Khirbat Al-Dumun (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Dumun Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°43′58″N35°01′20″E / 32.73278°N 35.02222°E /32.73278; 35.02222 | |
| Palestine grid | 152/237 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Haifa |
| Date of depopulation | April 30, 1948[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,797dunams (2.797 km2; 1.080 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 340[3][4] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Fear of being caught up in the fighting |
| Secondary cause | Military assault byYishuv forces |
Al-Dumun (Arabic:الدامون) was aPalestinianArab village in theHaifa Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on April 30, 1948. It was located 10.5 km southeast ofHaifa.
A known cave located in the area was used as a sheep fold. Flints artefacts from the cave had been dated to theNeolithic period.[5]
In 1881 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine noted atDuweimin “foundations."[6]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, Al Damun had a population of 19 Muslims,[7] while in the1931 census, it was counted underIsfiya.[8]
In the1945 statistics the village had a population of 340 Muslims,[3] and the total land area was 2,797 dunams.[4] Of this, 5 dunams were used for citrus and bananas, 280 were for plantations and irrigable land, 1,619 for cereals,[9] while 893 dunams were non-cultivable land.[10]
At the end of April, 1948, the villagers surrendered without a fight, and the village wasgarrisoned by theHaganah. The villagers were, at first, allowed to stay.[11]Morris notes that part of the document stating this has been blacked out by theIDF censors, presumably, according to Morris, as the writer have suggested that the villagers were to be expelled.[12]
In 1992, the remains were described: "All that remains from the village is a building now used as a prison. Cactuses and few remaining fruit trees, such as pomegranate and almond trees, grown on the site. The land is forested and the area is currently used by Israelis for recreation."[5]
The original building of Damon prison was built to be a tobacco factory and stable during the BritishMandate for Palestine. The building was constructed to retain humidity to preserve tobacco leaves. Following additional construction around the site, it was opened as a detention center in 1953 by the Israeli Minister of Police.[13]
In 2000,Israel Prison Service closed the prison temporarily due to inhumane conditions. It reopened in 2001 for incarcerating immigrant workers and Palestinians without official permits. There is no evidence that the complex has had significant changes or improvements since the 1950s.[13]
The prison has a section for Palestinian children, and a wing dedicated to detaining females was established in 2018.[13]
