Abu al-Fadl أبو الفضل/السطرية al-Satariyya | |
|---|---|
Village | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Abu al-Fadl, Ramle (click the buttons) | |
  Abu al-Fadl Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°56′37″N34°50′53″E / 31.94361°N 34.84806°E /31.94361; 34.84806 | |
| Palestine grid | 135/150 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | 9 May 1948[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,870dunams (2.87 km2; 1.11 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 510[1][2] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current Localities | Sitria[4][5]Talmey Menashe[5] |
Abu al-Fadl (Arabic:أبو الفضل/السطرية) was aPalestinian village in theRamle Subdistrict, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest ofRamla in, what was until 1948,Mandatory Palestine. The village was also known asal-Satariyya. In 1945/44, the village had a population of 510.
The village was located just south ofSarafand al-Amar, in the Ramleh District.
The village land was owned by theIslamicwaqf ofFadl ibn Abbas, possibly a cousin of theIslamic prophetMuhammad, after whom the village was named.[6] In thePalestine Index Gazetteer, Abu al-Fadl was classified as ahamlet.[6]
At the time of the1931 census, Abu al-Fadl had a population of 1565 residents, allMuslims. (Noted under the name ofEs Sautariya).[7]
In the1945 statistics, the village had a population of 510 Muslims.[1] A total of 818dunums of village land was used forcitrus andbananas, 1,035 dunums were used for cereals, and 822 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.[6][8]
In February 1948 it was reported that ten Arabs, one of them a woman, were murdered ("probably") byIZL gunmen, in a grove, where they apparently worked, near the village.[9] This was one of the massacres of Palestinian civilians which was said to "erode Arab morale".[10]
The villagers probably left their homes in the second week of May 1948 duringOperation Barak. This campaign was undertaken by theGivati Brigade commanded byShimon Avidan; its objective was to clear the villages south ofTel Aviv and "cause a wandering of the inhabitants of the smaller settlements in the area." Each ground assault started with amortar bombardment, followed by the expulsion of the remaining residents and the demolition of houses.[11]
The village was probably permanently occupied during the first stage ofOperation Danny, 9–12 July 1948. This offensive, commanded byYitzhak Rabin, resulted in the expulsion of some 70,000 people from the neighbouring towns ofLod and al-Ramla.[12][13]
The Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, described the area of Abu al-Fadl in 1992:
"Of the original village houses, no more than five still stand, deserted and nearly collapsing. One of these houses, located at the edge of a citrus grove, is made of cement blocks, with rectangular doors and windows and a tiled, sloping roof. Another house, composed of three units, is located in the middle of a citrus grove. A few cypress trees, castor oil (ricinus) plants, and cactuses grow on the site, and Israeli buildings have been constructed nearby. The surrounding lands are cultivated by Israelis."[5]
The Israeli moshav ofSitria was established on village farmlands in 1949,Talmei Menashe was established on the site of the village proper in 1953,[14] and some ofBe'er Ya'akov and the eastern reaches ofRishon LeZion are partially on the village's land.
