The depopulated village of Dayr al-Qasi / District of Akka (Acre)

Subdistrict: Acre

Estimated population of Dayr al-Qasi in 1948: 1,320

Date of occupation: 30 October 1948

Military formations involved in Operation Hiram: Carmeli Brigade, Oded Brigade, 7th Brigade, and Golani Brigade

Settlements established on the village's lands before 1948: None

Settlements established on the village's lands after 1948: Netu'a, Mattat, and Abirim; part of the village site is occupied by Elkosh

Geography of Dayr al-Qasi

Dayr al-Qasi was located approximately 26 kilometres northeast of Acre.

The village stood on a rocky hill in the western Upper Galilee, approximately five kilometres south of the Lebanese border.

Dayr al-Qasi formed part of a cluster of three neighbouring villages—Fassuta, the depopulated village of al-Mansura, and Dayr al-Qasi. Across the Lebanese border lay the villages of Rmaych, Ayta al-Sha'b, and Yaroun.

A paved road divided Dayr al-Qasi into two quarters: an eastern quarter and a western quarter. The eastern quarter stood at a higher elevation. The village contained two mosques, two religious shrines, and an elementary school. Its inhabitants obtained water for domestic use from several nearby springs and from a large rainwater-collection pool within the village.

Boundaries of Dayr al-Qasi

Dayr al-Qasi was surrounded by the following villages, towns, and territories:

• To the north: Tarbikha.
• To the northwest: Iqrit.
• To the southwest: Tarshiha.
• To the south: Suhmata.
• To the southeast: Sabalan.
• To the east: Hurfeish.
• To the northeast: Lebanese territory.

The Depopulated Palestinian Village of Dayr al-Qasi

The Depopulated Palestinian Village of Dayr al-Qasi

Architecture and Built Environment

A paved road divided the village into eastern and western quarters, with the eastern quarter situated at a higher elevation. Most houses were traditionally built of adobe brick, although some of the more recent structures were constructed of stone.

Dayr al-Qasi had two mosques—one in each quarter—as well as two religious shrines dedicated to Shaykh Jawhar and Abu Halyun. The village also contained a zawiya, or Sufi lodge, associated with the Shadhiliyya order, and an elementary school established during the British Mandate period.

Economic Life in Dayr al-Qasi

The inhabitants obtained water for domestic use from the springs of Fassuta and al-Mansura and from a large pool in Dayr al-Qasi that collected rainwater. Most villagers worked in agriculture, cultivating cereals, legumes, vegetables, and olives. Some were employed in the civil service in nearby towns, while others worked at British military bases.

Dayr al-Qasi shared portions of its landholding and statistical registration with Fassuta and al-Mansura. In 1944–1945, the combined land records allocated 6,475 dunams to cereal cultivation and 1,617 dunams to irrigated agriculture or orchards.

Land Ownership

These figures represent the combined land registration of Dayr al-Qasi, Fassuta, and al-Mansura.

Land Use in 1945

* One dunam equals approximately 1,000 square metres. The figures are drawn from the combined statistical record for Dayr al-Qasi, Fassuta, and al-Mansura.

Population of Dayr al-Qasi

The 1931 Census of Palestine recorded 917 inhabitants living in 169 houses. The official statistics for 1945 grouped Dayr al-Qasi together with Fassuta and al-Mansura, producing a combined population of 2,300—1,420 Muslims and 880 Christians. Dayr al-Qasi itself had an estimated population of approximately 1,250 in 1945 and 1,320 in 1948.

Number of Houses in Dayr al-Qasi

The Occupation and Depopulation of Dayr al-Qasi

Dayr al-Qasi came under Israeli control on 30 October 1948, apparently following the capture of neighbouring Tarshiha. Both villages were taken during Operation Hiram, an Israeli military offensive conducted from 29 to 31 October to occupy the remaining parts of Upper Galilee.

The village was not entirely emptied during the initial assault. Some residents remained for several months, but the population had been removed by 27 May 1949. The village's proximity to the Lebanese border and its strategic location were cited in connection with its subsequent evacuation and the settlement of Jewish immigrants in the area.

Israeli Settlements Established on the Lands of Dayr al-Qasi

Elkosh, established in 1949, occupies part of the former village site. Netu'a, founded in 1966; Mattat, founded in 1979; and Abirim, founded in 1980, were all established on lands belonging to Dayr al-Qasi.

Dayr al-Qasi Today

Several of the village's stone houses remain standing and are used as residences or storage buildings by inhabitants of Elkosh. Rubble from demolished homes is scattered across other parts of the site.