Al-Qastal

Infobox Former Arab villages in Palestine
name=al-Qastal


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Al-Qastal (derived from the Latin "castellum" for "castle" and named for the Roman ruin located there) was a Palestinian village that was depopulated in the lead up the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.cite web|title=Welcome to Al-Qastal|publisher=Palestine Remembered|accessdate=2007-12-03|url=http://www.palestineremembered.com/Jerusalem/al-Qastal] Located 8 kilometers west of Jerusalem, al-Qastal was defended by the Arab Liberation Army and the Holy Strugglers, led by Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni. The village was assaulted by pre-state Israeli forces from the Palmach's Fourth Battalion during Operation Nachshon. Its inhabitants fled as a result of the assault. It was a key position on the Jaffa-Jerusalem road that was used by Arab forces to besiege the Jews of Jerusalem. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,798381,00.html War for the Jerusalem Road, Time, Apr. 19, 1948.] ]

Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni was killed during hand-to-hand fighting for control of Qastal Hill overlooking the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road, on 8 April 1948. His forces had captured Qastal from the Haganah, who had occupied the village at the start of Operation Nachshon six days earlier with a force of about 100 men. [Morris, 2003, p. 234.] The Jewish forces retreated to the Jewish settlement of Motza. [Dana Adams Schmidt, 'Arabs Win Kastel But Chief is Slain', "New York Times", 9 April, 1948, p. 8 (A brief biography and account of the battle).] Palmach troops recaptured the village on the night of 8-9 April; most of the houses were blown up and the hill became a command post. [Benveniśtî, 2002, p.111.] [Morris, 2003, p. 235.] Huseyni's death was a factor in the loss of morale among his forces.

The Jerusalem area neighbourhood of Mevaseret Zion is located on the former lands on Al-Qastal.

ee also

* List of villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war

Footnotes