Info
District: Akka (Acre)
Population 1948: 1740
Occupation date: 01/07/1948
Jewish settlements on village/town land before 1948: Yehiam
Jewish settlements on village/town land after 1948: Yehiam expansion
Background:
The village was built around the ruins of an old fortress that stood on a hilltop and overlooked the Mediterranean to the west. Wadi Jiddin, a deep wadi, passed to the south of the village through a heavily wooded area. It was located 16 km northeast of Acre.
The date of the occupation of this village can be determined by examinig the record of Israeli military operations in the area. While the Israeli troops occupied the village of 'Amqa, a few kilometers to the southwest, in early June 1948, they did not reach Yanu, 2 km to the southeast, until the end of October. However, it is also recorded that the settlement of Ga'ton was established to the northwest of the village early in October, which would indicate that the village was occupied in the earlier ocperation.In that case, it was probably seized shortly after the capture of 'Amqa on 10-11 July, and remained on the front lines between July and October. Many villages in the area were heavily bombarded before being attacked by units of the Sheva' (seventh) and Carmeli brigades.
The settlement organization for Yechi'am was established in 1946 by members of the urban settlement of Qiryat Chayyim; the settlement itself was built in November 1947 on village land to the north of the site. The settlement of Ga'ton was built on village land in October1948.
The fortress has been preserved as a tourist attraction. It is surrounded by eucalyptus trees and brush.
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