Hulayqat

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the area of Hulayqat experienced a significant process of settlement decline due to nomadic pressures on local communities. The residents of abandoned villages moved to surviving settlements, but the land continued to be cultivated by neighboring villages.[6]

In 1838, in the Ottoman era, Huleikat was noted as village in the Gaza district.[7]

An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed that Hulayqat had a population of 55, with a total of 14 houses, though the population count included men, only.[8][9]

In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described it as a "small village on a flat slope, with a high sandy hill to the west. It has cisterns and a pond, with a small garden to the west.”[10]

Hulayqat 1931 1:20,000

In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Hukiqat had a population of 251 inhabitants, all Muslims,[11] increasing in the 1931 census to 285, still all Muslims, in 61 houses.[12]

Hulayqat 1945 1:20,000

In the 1945 statistics Huleiqat had a population of 420 Muslims,[3] with a total of 7,063 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[4] Of this, 115 dunams were used for plantations and irrigable land, 6,636 for cereals,[13] while they had 18 dunams as built-up land.[14]

In 1947, an oil drilling project commenced in Hulayqat employing 300 Arab workers.[15]

The village was first captured by the Israeli army on 13 May during Operation Barak and depopulated.[16][17] On 8 July, it was retaken by the Egyptian army. A well-fortified battalion of the 4th Brigade was stationed there later reinforced by more troops.[18] and some of the villagers returned to their homes. It was finally captured on 19 October by the Giv'ati Brigade during Operation Yoav.[5]

Israeli forces at Huleiqat

According to the Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi, the ruin of the village in 1992 was partially forested with sycamore, Christ's-thorn trees and cactus. One of the old roads had been paved.[5]