Ein Samiya

Ein Samiya, also known as Ain Samia (Arabic: عين سامية, meaning "the lofty spring"), was a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, on the eastern plains of the village of Kafr Malik.

Ein Samiya
Arabic transcription(s)
  Arabicعين سامية
  LatinEin Samiya (unofficial)
Ein Samiya
Ein Samiya
Location of Ein Samiya within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°59′21″N 35°20′00″E
Palestine grid181/156
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateRamallah and al-Bireh
Elevation
430 m (1,410 ft)
Population
  Total0−300
Name meaning"the lofty spring

Due to its large water spring, considered to be the strongest and purest in the region, the Ein Samiya valley is an important archaeological area containing the remains of settlements dating back to the ancient Bronze Age/Canaanite era, as well as Roman and Islamic periods. In modern times, Ein Samiya's spring water is the main local ingredient of Taybeh beer, Palestine's first local beer.

In May 2023, the village was forcibly evacuated, having been home to 178 people. Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Yvonne Helle, noted that: "These families are not leaving by choice; the Israeli authorities have repeatedly demolished homes and other structures they own and have threatened to destroy their only school. At the same time, land available for the grazing of livestock has decreased due to settlement expansion and both children and adults have been subjected to settler violence... We are witnessing the tragic consequences of longstanding Israeli practices and settler violence."

The persistent harassment of the Palestinian villagers, leading to their evacuation in 2023, is considered to be part of the Israeli expropriation of Palestinian springs in the West Bank.

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