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Village in Baysan, Mandatory Palestine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al-Khunayzir (Arabic: الخنيزر), was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Baysan. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on May 20, 1948.
Al-Khunayzir
الخنيزر 'Arab al Khuneizir[1] | |
---|---|
Village | |
Etymology: Tell el Khaneizîr, the mound of the swine[2] | |
Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
Coordinates: 32°25′17″N 35°31′20″E | |
Palestine grid | 199/203 |
Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
Subdistrict | Baysan |
Date of depopulation | May 20, 1948[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 3,107 dunams (3.107 km2 or 1.200 sq mi) |
Population (1945) | |
• Total | 260[4][3] |
Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall[1] |
Current Localities | Tirat Zvi[5] |
In 1881, a nearby tell was named as Tell el Khaneizîr, meaning the mound of the swine, and a nearby spring was named as Ain el Khaneizîr meaning the spring of the swine.[6] خنزير means pig in Arabic.[2]
In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the Mandatory Palestine authorities, Kunaizir had a population of 83; all Muslims,[7] increasing in the 1931 census to 200 Muslims, in a total of 47 houses.[8]
In the 1945 statistics the population was 260 Muslims,[4] with a total of 3,107 dunams of land.[3] Of this, 36 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 1,658 for plantations and irrigated land, 256 for cereals,[9] while 34 dunams were non-cultivable land.[10]
According to B. Morris, 'Arab al Khuneizir was abandoned by its population under the "[i]nfluence of nearby town's fall", on 20 May 1948.[1]
In 1992 it was described: "The only remaining landmarks is a cemetery on Tall Abu al-Faraj (199/203), north of the site. To the north and the west of this tell are the springs of 'Uyun Umm al-Faraj and 'Ayn al-Khanazir. Most of the village site and the land around it are covered with palm trees."[5]