Qastina ( Arabic : قسطينة ) was a Palestinian village, located 38 kilometers northeast of Gaza City . It was ethnically cleansed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war .
62-545: Qastina was situated on an elevated spot in a generally flat area on the coastal plain, on the highway between al-Majdal and the Jerusalem - Jaffa highway. A British military camp, Beer Tuvia, was 3 km. southwest of the village. Qastina was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with the rest of Palestine , and by the 1596 tax records , it was a village in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Gaza under
124-467: A Shi'a Ismaili sect based in India, were used to construct a small marble prayer platform, which is visited by Shi'ite pilgrims from India and Pakistan. A domed structure housing the 13th-century tomb of Sheikh Awad sits atop a hill overlooking Ashkelon's northern beaches. Ashkelon Khan and Museum contains archaeological finds, among them a replica of Ashkelon's Canaanite silver calf, whose discovery
186-615: A center for mercantile activities. Its name appeared in Phoenician and Punic as ŠQLN ( 𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤍 ) and ʾŠQLN ( 𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤍 ). Majdal (Arabic) and Migdal (Hebrew) mean 'tower'. The archaeological site of Ascalon , today known as Tel Ashkelon, was the oldest and largest seaport in Canaan , part of the pentapolis (a grouping of five cities) of the Philistines , north of Gaza City and south of Jaffa . The site
248-621: A coin made under Emperor Mauritius Tiberius (596–597 CE). Remains, including pottery and glass were found from the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, with local glass-industry operation here in the Abbasid era. The settlement continued during Ayyubid and Mamluk times, with the wealth of pottery and glass found here indicating a strong economy. An undated column -base, with a Nine men's morris pattern incised has also been found here. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira did not appear in records from
310-835: A consortium of three international companies: Veolia water, IDE Technologies and Elran. In March 2006, it was voted "Desalination Plant of the Year" in the Global Water Awards. Since 1992, Israel Beer Breweries has been operating in Ashkelon, brewing Carlsberg and Tuborg beer for the Israeli market. The Ashkelon Sports Arena opened in 1999. The "Jewish Eye" is a Jewish world film festival that takes place annually in Ashkelon. The festival marked its seventh year in 2010. The Breeza Music Festival has been held yearly in and around Ashkelon's amphitheatre since 1992. Most of
372-524: A large village of 559 Muslim households, making it the 7th-most-populous locality in Palestine after Safad , Jerusalem , Gaza , Nablus , Hebron and Kafr Kanna . An official Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Medschdel had a total of 420 houses and a population of 1175, though the population count included men only. In the 1922 census of Palestine , Majdal had a population of 5,064; 33 Christians and 5,031 Muslims , increasing in
434-510: A population of 656, though the population count included only men. The adjectival al-Kabira ("major") was later added to Masmiyya's name to distinguish it from the nearby al-Masmiyya al-Saghira , established in the mid-19th century. In the late 19th century, al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was laid out in a trapezoid-like pattern, with the long base of the trapezoid facing west. The village was surrounded by gardens and its houses were constructed of adobe bricks or concrete. The most recent expansion of it
496-533: A post to his Telegram channel. Once the deadline hit, Hamas launched a barrage of missiles towards Ashkelon. In the early years, the city was primarily inhabited by Mizrahi Jews , who fled to Israel after being expelled from Muslim lands . Today, Mizrahi Jews still constitute the majority of the population. In the early 1950s, many South African Jews settled in Ashkelon, establishing the Afridar neighbourhood. They were followed by an influx of immigrants from
558-773: A result of the collapsed structure. Southern District Police chief Uri Bar-Lev believed the Grad-model Katyusha rocket was manufactured in Iran . In March 2009, a Qassam rocket hit a school, destroying classrooms and injuring two people. In November 2014, the mayor, Itamar Shimoni , began a policy of discrimination against Arab workers, refusing to allow them to work on city projects to build bomb shelters for children. His discriminatory actions brought criticism from others, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat who likened
620-520: A sewer under the bathhouse, leading to conjectures that prostitutes had discarded their unwanted newborns there. The remains of a 4th-century Byzantine church with marble slab flooring and glass mosaic walls can be seen in the Barnea Quarter. Remains of a synagogue from this period have also been found. An 11th-century mosque, Maqam al-Imam al-Husayn , a site of pilgrimage for both Sunni and Shia Muslims, which had been built under
682-882: A small number remained in Ashkelon. Lavon argued that this operation dissipated "the last shred of trust the Arabs had in Israel, the sincerity of the State's declarations on democracy and civil equality, and the last remnant of confidence the Arab workers had in the Histadrut." Acting on an Egyptian complaint, the Egyptian-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission ruled that the Palestinians transferred from Majdal should be returned to Israel, but this
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#1732765188038744-472: A well, and gardens. In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities , the village had a population of 406 inhabitants, all Muslims , increasing in the 1931 census when it had an all-Muslim population of 593 in 147 houses. The villagers had a mosque , and in 1936 an elementary school was started, which was shared with the neighbouring village of Tall al-Turmus . By
806-586: Is twinned with: Masmiya al Kabira Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira ( Arabic : المسمية الكبيرة ) was a Palestinian village in the Gaza Subdistrict , located 41 kilometers (25 mi) northeast of Gaza . With a land area of 20,687 dunams , the village site (135 dunams) was situated on an elevation of 75 meters (246 ft) along the coastal plain. Established by immigrants from the Hauran in Syria ,
868-585: Is a state of war , I know no other definition for it. If it lasts a week or two, we can handle that, but we have no intention of allowing this to become part of our daily routine." In March 2008, 230 buildings and 30 cars were damaged by rocket fire on Ashkelon. On 12 May 2008, a rocket fired from the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahiya hit a shopping mall in southern Ashkelon, causing significant structural damage. According to The Jerusalem Post , four people were seriously injured and 87 were treated for shock . Fifteen people suffered minor to moderate injuries as
930-606: Is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, 50 kilometres (30 mi) south of Tel Aviv , and 13 kilometres (8 mi) north of the border with the Gaza Strip . The modern city is named after the ancient seaport of Ascalon , which was destroyed in 1270 and whose remains are on the southwestern edge of the modern metropolis. The Israeli city, first known as Migdal,
992-444: Is deserted, while the boys' school has been converted into an Israeli army installation. Some of the houses are inhabited, but others have been turned into warehouses. One house serves as a shop where juice is sold. All are made of concrete with simple architectural features—flat roofs and rectangular doors and windows. A date palm tree grows in the yard of a house that belonged to a Palestinian named Tawfiq al-Rabi. An Israeli gas station
1054-563: Is the debris of houses strewn across the site. The research team investigating the current status of the depopulated villages visited the site and found it overgrown with bushes and tall grasses that were about 2m high." Nowadays, Qastina is the popular name for Malakhi Junction . Al-Majdal, Askalan Ashkelon or Ashqelon ( / ˈ æ ʃ k ə l ɒ n / ASH -kə-lon ; Hebrew : אַשְׁקְלוֹן , romanized : ʾAšqəlōn , IPA: [ʔaʃkeˈlon] ; Arabic : عَسْقَلَان , romanized : ʿAsqalān )
1116-497: The liwa' (district) of Gaza , with a population of 55 households and 15 bachelors, an estimated 385 persons. All the villagers were Muslim . They paid a fixed tax rate of 33,3% on a number of crops, including wheat , barley and sesame, and fruits, as well as goats, beehives and vineyards; a total of 13,100 akçe . 5/6 of the revenue went to a Muslim charitable endowment . The Syrian Sufi teacher and traveller Mustafa al-Bakri al-Siddiqi (1688-1748/9) reported travelling through
1178-406: The 1931 census to 6,226 (6,166 Muslims and 41 Christians) with 172 in the suburbs (167 Muslims, 4 Christians, and one Jew). In the 1945 statistics Majdal had a population of 9,910; ninety Christians and 9,820 Muslims, with a total (urban and rural) of 43,680 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey. 2,050 dunams were public land; all the rest was owned by Arabs. of
1240-537: The 1948 Arab–Israeli War the inhabitants numbered 10,000 and in October 1948, the city accommodated thousands more Palestinian refugees from nearby villages. The town was conquered by Israeli forces on 5 November 1948, by which time much of the Arab population had fled, leaving some 2,700 inhabitants, of whom 500 were deported by Israeli soldiers in December 1948 and most of the rest were deported by 1950. Today,
1302-594: The Fatimids by Badr al-Jamali and where tradition held that the head of Mohammad's grandson Hussein ibn Ali was buried, was blown up by the IDF under instructions from Moshe Dayan as part of a broader programme to destroy mosques in July 1950. The area was subsequently redeveloped for a local Israeli hospital, Barzilai . After the site was re-identified on the hospital grounds, funds from Mohammed Burhanuddin , leader of
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#17327651880381364-586: The Giv'ati Brigade 's 51st Battalion and produced on 29 June 1948. According to Benny Morris , the document recommended "the 'liquidation' ( hisul ) of the two Masmiya villages and 'burning' ( bi'ur ) the rest." On 9 July 1948, the village and its over 147 houses were completely destroyed by Israeli forces after its inhabitants fled an assault by the Givati Brigade in Operation An-Far . Qastina
1426-707: The Israeli army in 1950. Situated ten kilometres (6 mi) from Gaza , the hospital has been the target of numerous Qassam rocket attacks, sometimes as many as 140 over one weekend. The hospital plays a vital role in treating wounded soldiers and terror victims. A rocket and missile-proof emergency room opened in February 2018. The city has 19 elementary schools, and nine junior high and high schools. The Ashkelon Academic College opened in 1998, and now hosts thousands of students. Harvard University operates an archaeological summer school program in Ashkelon. Ashkelon
1488-467: The State of Israel and four villages were later established on the lands of Qastina; Arugot and Kfar Ahim were founded in 1949 after the village had been destroyed. They were followed by Avigdor in 1950 and Kiryat Malakhi in 1951. Be'er Tuvia , which was also known by the name Qastina after its establishment in 1887, lies adjacent. In 1992, Walid Khalidi notes of Qastina that: "All that remains
1550-490: The garden city model. Migdal was surrounded by a broad ring of orchards. Barnea developed slowly, but Afridar grew rapidly. The first homes, built in 1951, were inhabited by new Jewish immigrants from South Africa and South America, with some native-born Israelis. The first public housing project for residents of the transit camps, the Southern Hills Project (Hageva'ot Hadromiyot) or Zion Hill (Givat Zion),
1612-457: The "ghetto". Moshe Dayan and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion were in favor of expulsion, while Mapam and the Israeli labor union Histadrut objected. The government offered the Palestinians positive inducements to leave, including a favorable currency exchange, but also caused panic through night-time raids. The first group was deported to the Gaza Strip by truck on 17 August 1950 after an expulsion order had been served. The deportation
1674-520: The 16th century. Al-Masmiyya was mentioned by the Syrian Sufi teacher and traveller Mustafa al-Bakri al-Siddiqi (1688-1748/9) in the first half of the eighteenth century, and in the 1780s, the French traveller Volney noted that the village produced a great deal of spun- cotton . According to one account, Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira is said to have been established by migrants from the Hauran in
1736-636: The 18th or early 19th century, originating from a location called Mesmiyeh (near Azra'a ). In 1838, el-Mesmiyeh was noted as a Muslim village in the Gaza district. In 1863, the French explorer Victor Guérin visited the village, which he found to have seven hundred inhabitants. Around the well were stones, some large, and apparently ancient. The village was surrounded by plantations of tobacco, watermelons and cucumbers. An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that “El-Mesmije” had 243 houses and
1798-571: The British military camp (Beer Tuvia) nearby. In 1944–45 a total of 235 dunums was used for citrus and bananas , 7,317 dunums used for cereals , 770 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards, while 37 dunams were built-up, urban, land. Qastina was in the territory allotted to the Arab state under the 1947 UN Partition Plan . Upon Israel's declaration of independence on 15 May 1948, the armies of neighbouring Arab states invaded, prompting fresh evacuations of civilians fearful of being caught up in
1860-555: The United Kingdom . During the 1990s, the city received additional arrivals of Ethiopian Jews and Russian Jews . Ashkelon is the northern terminus for the Trans-Israel pipeline , which brings petroleum products from Eilat to an oil terminal at the port. The Ashkelon seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is the largest in the world. The project was developed as a BOT ( build–operate–transfer ) by
1922-514: The ancient world was discovered in Ashkelon. A Roman burial tomb two kilometres north of Ashkelon National Park was discovered in 1937. There are two burial tombs, a painted Hellenistic cave and a Roman cave. The Hellenistic cave is decorated with paintings of nymphs, water scenes, mythological figures and animals. In 1986 ruins of 4th- to 6th-century baths were found in Ashkelon. The bathhouses are believed to have been used for prostitution. The remains of nearly 100 mostly male infants were found in
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1984-466: The city was abandoned by its inhabitants and fell into disuse. The Palestinian village of Al-Jura (El-Jurah) stood northeast of and immediately adjacent to Tel Ashkelon and is documented in Ottoman tax registers. El-Jurah was depopulated during the 1948 war. The Arab village of Majdal was mentioned by historians and tourists at the end of the 15th century. In 1596, Ottoman records showed Majdal to be
2046-457: The city's population is almost entirely Jewish. Migdal, as it was called in Hebrew, was initially repopulated by Jewish immigrants and demobilized soldiers. It was subsequently renamed multiple times, first as Migdal Gaza, Migdal Gad and Migdal Ashkelon, until in 1953 the coastal neighborhood of Afridar was incorporated and the name Ashkelon was adopted for the combined town. By 1961, Ashkelon
2108-532: The discrimination to the anti-Semitism experienced by Jews in Europe 70 years earlier. On May 11, 2021, Hamas fired 137 rockets on Ashkelon killing 2 and injuring many others. During the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict , Ashkelon was a main target of Hamas missile barrages. On October 10, 2023, Abu Obaida , spokesperson for Hamas, warned all citizens of Ashkelon to evacuate before 5:00 P.M. local time via
2170-801: The dunams, 2,337 were used for citrus and bananas, 2,886 were plantations and irrigable land, 35,442 for cereals, while 1,346 were built-up land. Majdal was known for its weaving industry. The town had around 500 looms in 1909. In 1920 a British Government report estimated that there were 550 cotton looms in the town with an annual output worth 30–40 million francs . But the industry suffered from imports from Europe and by 1927 only 119 weaving establishments remained. The three major fabrics produced were "malak" (silk), 'ikhdari' (bands of red and green) and 'jiljileh' (dark red bands). These were used for festival dresses throughout Southern Palestine. Many other fabrics were produced, some with poetic names such as ji'nneh u nar ("heaven and hell"), nasheq rohoh ("breath of
2232-546: The early stages of the 1948 war , along with the rest of the Gaza region that had been allocated to the Arab State in the United Nations plan. Over the next few months, the town was subjected to Israeli air-raids and shelling. All but about 1,000 of the town's residents were forced to leave by the time it was captured by Israeli forces as a sequel to Operation Yoav on 4 November 1948. General Yigal Allon ordered
2294-426: The expulsion of the remaining Palestinians but the local commanders did not do so and the Arab population soon recovered to more than 2,500 due mostly to refugees slipping back and also due to the transfer of Palestinians from nearby villages. Most of them were elderly, women, or children. During the next year or so, the Palestinians were held in a confined area surrounded by barbed wire, which became commonly known as
2356-412: The fighting. The women and children of Qastina were sent away to the village of Tell es-Safi by the menfolk at this time, but they returned after discovering there was insufficient water in the host village to meet the newcomers' needs. A preparatory order for the conquest of Qastina and other neighbouring villages ( Masmiya al Kabira , Masmiya al Saghira , al Tina and Tall al Turmus ) was drafted by
2418-559: The founding members of Hamas were born in Mandatory Palestine , outside of the Gaza strip , or have parents who were. Many of them were from villages that were in the vicinity of present-day Ashkelon, including most of the party's leaders: On 1–2 March 2008, rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip (some of them Grad rockets ) hit Ashkelon, wounding seven, and causing property damage . Mayor Roni Mahatzri stated that "This
2480-425: The girls' school was built in 1944 and had 39 students 1947. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was one of the few localities in the district to be governed by a village council. The town had a gas station and a clinic. In the 1945 statistics , Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira had 2,520 inhabitants; 2,510 Muslims and 10 Christians, with a total of 20,687 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey. Agriculture
2542-596: The immigrant camps, on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian village al-Jura , entrepreneur Zvi Segal , one of the signatories of Israel's Declaration of Independence, established the upscale Barnea neighborhood. A large tract of land south of Barnea was handed over to the trusteeship of the South African Zionist Federation, which established the neighborhood of Afridar. Plans for the city were drawn up in South Africa according to
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2604-748: The mid-1940s the school had 161 students. In 1939 Kfar Warburg was established on what was traditionally village land, 3 km southwest of the village site. During the Second World War , the village played host to many elements of the Allied forces , including the HQ for the Australian 6th Division . By the 1945 statistics the population was 890, all Muslims, with a total of 12,019 dunams of land. The villagers lived mostly of agriculture. In addition, villagers raised animals and poultry, and worked in
2666-521: The mouth of a well were the remains of an antique gray-white marble column , while two palm trees and three acacia mimosas shaded the cemetery. An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Qastina had 152 houses and a population of 469, though the population count included men only. In 1882, the PEF 's Survey of Western Palestine described Qastina as a village laid out in a northwest–southeast direction on flat ground. It had adobe brick structures,
2728-536: The musical performances are free. Israel Lacrosse operates substantial youth lacrosse programs in the city and recently hosted the Turkey men's national team in Israel's first home international in 2013. Ashkelon and environs is served by the Barzilai Medical Center , established in 1961. It was built in place of Hussein ibn Ali 's 11th-century mosque, a center of Muslim pilgrimages, destroyed by
2790-479: The new town, increasing the Jewish population to 2,500 within six months. These early immigrants were mostly from Yemen , North Africa , and Europe . In 1949, the town was renamed Migdal Gaza, and then Migdal Gad. Soon afterwards it became Migdal Ashkelon. The city began to expand as the population grew. In 1951, the neighborhood of Afridar was established for Jewish immigrants from South Africa , and in 1953 it
2852-475: The soul") and abu mitayn ("father of two hundred"). In addition to agriculture, residents practiced animal husbandry which formed was an important source of income for the town. In 1943, they owned 354 heads of cattle , 168 sheep over a year old, 170 goats over a year old, 65 camels , 17 horses , 39 mules , 447 donkeys , 2966 fowls , and 808 pigeons . Majdal was occupied by the Egyptian army in
2914-399: The village in the first half of the eighteenth century, on his way to al-Masmiyya al-Kabira . In 1838, Edward Robinson saw el-Kustineh located northwest of Tell es-Safi , where he was staying, and noted it as a Muslim village located in the Gaza district. In 1863, the French explorer Victor Guérin visited the village, called Kasthineh . He found it had four hundred inhabitants. Near
2976-453: The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . Before the war, it had a population of 2,520 in 1945. The name of the village has been retained in the " Masmiya junction ", the unofficial name of the large junction connecting Israel's Highway 3 with Highway 40, which the village ruins are adjacent to. Remains from the Roman and Byzantine eras have been found here, including
3038-412: The village's former land in 1952. In 1976, another new village, Ahva was established on the land. A Palestinian Arab family was able to remain in the area and was used as Shabbat goy by the community of Bnei Re'em. According to Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi , in reference to the remains of al-Masmiyya al-Kabira in 1992: The two schools and several village houses are extant. The girls' school
3100-634: Was an important city during the Roman , Byzantine and Early Islamic periods , and particularly during the period of the Crusades , due to its location near the coast and between the Crusader states and Egypt. The Battle of Ascalon was the last action of the First Crusade . In 1270, the Mamluk sultan Baybars ordered the fortifications and harbour at the site to be destroyed. As a result of it,
3162-484: Was approved by Ben-Gurion and Dayan over the objections of Pinhas Lavon , secretary-general of the Histadrut, who envisioned the town as a productive example of equal opportunity. By October 1950, twenty Palestinian families remained, most of whom later moved to Lydda or Gaza. According to Israeli records, in total 2,333 Palestinians were transferred to the Gaza Strip, 60 to Jordan, 302 to other towns in Israel, and
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#17327651880383224-590: Was built in 1952. Under a plan signed in October 2015, seven new neighborhoods comprising 32,000 housing units, a new stretch of highway, and three new highway interchanges will be built, turning Ashkelon into the sixth-largest city in Israel. The ancient site of Ascalon is now administered as the Ashkelon National Park . The walls that encircled the city are still visible, as well as Canaanite earth ramparts. The park contains mainly Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. The largest dog cemetery in
3286-795: Was captured during "several clearing operations in the brigade's rear guard, to eliminate the threat and danger posed by the presence of Arab civilian concentrations to the rear of the front." Following the war the area was incorporated into the State of Israel and Morris reports that by 27 May 1949, 21 of the approx 400 former Palestinian Arab villages had been repopulated by newly arrived ‘olim , Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira along with Aqir , Zarnuqa , Yibna , Ijzim , Ein Hawd , Tarshiha , Safsaf , Tarbikha , Dayr Tarif and that six more including Deir Yassin were slated for colonization. Two moshavim , Bnei Re'em and Hatzav , were established on al-Masmiyya al-Kabira's land in 1949, with Yinon also founded on
3348-465: Was fenced in by Hagana forces purportedly to protect the village against Deir Yassin like incidents. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira was captured by the Israeli forces of the Givati Brigade during Operation An-Far . The New York Times reported that it had been occupied on 11 July, blocking an Egyptian attempt to break through to Latrun from the direction of al-Majdal . However, the Haganah claim it
3410-549: Was founded in 1949 approximately 4 km inland from ancient Ascalon at the Palestinian town of al-Majdal (Arabic: الْمِجْدَل , romanized: al-Mijdal ; Hebrew: אֵל־מִגְ׳דַּל , romanized: ʾĒl-Mīǧdal ). Its inhabitants had been exclusively Muslims and Christians and the area had been allocated to the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine ; on the eve of
3472-565: Was incorporated into the city. The current name Ashkelon was adopted and the town was granted local council status in 1953. In 1955, Ashkelon had more than 16,000 residents. By 1961, Ashkelon ranked 18th among Israeli urban centers with a population of 24,000. This grew to 43,000 in 1972 and 53,000 in 1983. In 2005, the population was more than 106,000. In 1949 and 1950, three immigrant transit camps ( ma'abarot ) were established alongside Majdal (renamed Migdal) for Jewish refugees from Arab countries , Romania and Poland. Northwest of Migdal and
3534-416: Was not done. Majdal was granted to Israel in the 1949 Armistice Agreements . Re-population of the recently vacated Arab dwellings by Jews had been official policy since at least December 1948, but the process began slowly. The Israeli national plan of June 1949 designated al-Majdal as the site for a regional urban center of 20,000 people. From July 1949, new immigrants and demobilized soldiers moved to
3596-461: Was ranked 18th among Israeli urban centers with a population of 24,000. In 2022 the population of Ashkelon was 153,138, making it the third-largest city in Israel's Southern District . The name Ashkelon is probably western Semitic , and might be connected to the triliteral root š-q-l ('to weigh', from a Semitic root ṯ-q-l , akin to Hebrew šāqal ( שָקַל ) or Arabic ṯiql ( ثِقْل ), 'weight', perhaps attesting to its importance as
3658-404: Was reported on the front page of The New York Times . The Outdoor Museum near the municipal cultural center displays two Roman burial coffins made of marble depicting battle and hunting scenes, and famous mythological scenes. The Ashkelon Marina, located between Delila and Bar Kochba beaches, offers a shipyard and repair services. Ashkeluna is a water-slide park on Ashkelon beach. Most of
3720-468: Was the main economic activity of the village and the dominant crops were citrus and grains; in 1945, a total of 1,005 dunams were devoted to citrus, while 18,092 were allotted to grains, while 135 dunams were built-up land. Beside crop cultivation, residents raised livestock and poultry. Some also worked in the nearby British Army camp. Al-Masmiyya al-Kabira had a weekly market on Thursdays that attracted residents from neighboring communities. The village
3782-510: Was used as a rallying point by the IDF seventh Battalion of the 8th Armored Brigade after the failed attack on Iraq al-Manshiyya in part of the Israeli drive to open a route to the Negev during Operation Yoav . In early 1949 Quaker relief workers reported that many those living in tents in what became Maghazi refugee camp had come from Qastina. Following the war the area was incorporated into
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#17327651880383844-449: Was westward and southwestward. In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities , Mesmiyet Kabira had a population of 1390 Muslims, increasing in the 1931 census when Masmiya al Kabira had a population of 1756 Muslims and 4 Christians, in a total of 354 houses. The village contained two mosques and two schools. The boys' school was built in 1922 and had an enrollment of 307 students in 1947, while
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