Daniyal دانيال | |
|---|---|
Village | |
.JPG) Pre-1948 structure from Daniyal, photo taken in 2014 | |
| Etymology:Daniel[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Daniyal (click the buttons) | |
  Daniyal Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°55′52″N34°55′53″E / 31.93111°N 34.93139°E /31.93111; 34.93139 | |
| Palestine grid | 143/148 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | July 10, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,808dunams (2.808 km2; 1.084 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 410[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Kfar Daniel[5][6] |
Daniyal (Arabic:دانيال) was aPalestinian village in theRamle Subdistrict that was located 5 km east ofRamla and southeast ofLydda. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli War on July 10, 1948, by theYiftach Brigade under the first phase ofOperation Dani, as part of the broader1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight andNakba.
In 1838,Edward Robinson stopped by the villagewell, west of the village. He estimated the depth of the well to be 160 feet.[7] The villagers wereMuslim, and the village was noted as being in the Lydda District.[8] It was populated by residents fromRafat, Jerusalem who established it as a dependency - or satellite village - of their home village.[9]
In 1863,Victor Guérin noted: "a smallmosque situated on a height; it contains the tomb of a saint, calledNeby Danyal. Some olive trees and a palm tree surround it. Near there is a village of about forty houses, also calledDanyal. I observed there, not far from the dwellings, a considerable number ofsilos, intended to preserve straw, barley, and wheat."[10]
An official village list of about 1870 showed that the village had 24 houses and a population of 80, though the population count included men, only.[11][12]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) describedNeby Danial: "A small settlement round the sacred shrine of the Prophet, with a well to the west. The tomb of Dan is shown here, and is believed by the Samaritans to be the true site."[13] They further noted that: "The village ofNeby Danial includes theMukam of Neby Dan, from which it is said by the natives to take its name."[14]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, Danial had a population of 277Muslims,[15] increasing slightly in the1931 census to 284 Muslims, in a total of 71 houses.[16]
In the1945 statistics, it had a population of 410 Muslims[2] with a total of 2,808dunums of land.[3] Of this, 37 dunums were for plantations and irrigable land, 2,599 dunums were for cereals,[17] while a total of 15 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[18]
An elementary school for boys which is still standing today was founded in 1945, and had an enrollment of 55 students.[19]
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During the1948 Palestine war, the village wasdepopulated by Israeli forces as part of the broader1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight. The village was attacked by theIDF on the 10 July 1948.[4] On that day, theYiftach Brigade reported: "Our forces are clearing theInnaba –Jimzu – Daniyal area and are torching everything that can be burned." On July 11, they reported that they had conquered Jimzu and Daniel and were "busy clearing the villages and blowing up the houses."[20]
HistorianSaleh Abdel Jawad writes that upon the Israeli conquest of the village that "indiscriminate killings" occurred in Daniyal, with the IDF having first shelled the village to induce civilian flight and afterwards killing any residents who remained, with at least 9 residents being killed after the capture of the village.[21]
In September, 1948, Daniyal was among the Palestinian villages thatBen Gurion wanted destroyed.[clarification needed][22]
The Israeli settlement ofKfar Daniel was established on village land in 1949.[5]
In 1992 the remains of the village was described by historianWalid Khalidi: "The shrine of al-Nabi Daniyal, the school, and seven well built houses are all that remain of the village. The shrine, deserted and weathered amid weeds and a few trees, is made of stone, with a second story rising on one side. The first story has arched windows and doors and the second has a porch and a rectangular window. The school is presently used by residents of Kefar Daniyyel. The houses are built of stone and are all flat-roofed, with a mix of arched and rectangular doors and windows. One house is used as a warehouse."[5]
Its Arab settlers left to neighboring countries and territories such asJordan and theWest Bank. Others later settled in the United States of America in the States of Texas and Illinois. The descendants of those who were forced to leave their homes face many difficulties from local Israeli authority when attempting to revisit the land where the village once stood.
