Khirbat al-Jawfa Khirbet al Jaufa[1] | |
|---|---|
.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-Jawfa (click the buttons) | |
  Khirbat al-Jawfa Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°29′26″N35°26′01″E / 32.49056°N 35.43361°E /32.49056; 35.43361 | |
| Palestine grid | 191/210 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Jenin |
| Date of depopulation | 12 May 1948[1] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current Localities | Ma'ale Gilboa[2] |
Khirbat al-Jawfa' was aPalestinian Arab village that was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli war.
The village was situated 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) west ofJenin, on the top of a small circular plateau that extended from the northern slope of a mountain (Jabal Faqqu'a). It overlooked theJordan Valley to the north and northeast, and was linked by a dirt path to the villageTall al-Shawk in District of Baysan.[2]
In theBritish mandate period the village was classified as ahamlet by thePalestine Index Gazetteer.[2]
It was probably occupied by the forces of theGolani Brigade as part ofOperation Gideon on 12 May 1948. Most of its population fled toJenin and its surrounding areas after the Israeli forces overtook the city ofBisan on 15 May 1948.[2]
According to the Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, the 1948 armistice line separatingIsrael from theWest Bank fell a short distance to the west of Khirbat al-Jawfa, cutting through the land of the nearby village ofFaqqu'a (in the West Bank). The land of this village that was inside Israel have been combined with the land that belonged to Khirbat al-Jawfa, making the two indistinguishable. Thekibbutz ofMa'ale Gilboa, founded 1962, is located inside this amalgamated parcel of land, southwest of the village site.[2]
Khalidi described the village remaining structures in 1992 as: "Although sections of some walls still stand, most of the former houses have been reduced to rubble. The entire area has been fenced in and is used as a grazing area for cows. A large water tank belonging to kibbutz Ma'ale Gilbo'a is on the site".[2]
