Kafr 'Inan
Kafr ʿInān (Arabic: كفر عنان), is a former Palestinian village, depopulated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. It was located around 33 kilometres (21 mi) east of Acre.
Kafr 'Inan
كفر عنان Kefr 'Anan; Kefar Hananiah (old) | |
|---|---|
Ruins of ancient Kfar Hananya | |
| Etymology: Village of Anan | |
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Kafr 'Inan (click the buttons) | |
Kafr 'Inan Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 32°55′23″N 35°25′07″E | |
| Palestine grid | 189/259 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Acre |
| Date of depopulation | February 1949 captured on 30 October 1948 during the Golani Brigade (part of Operation Hiram) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,827 dunams (5.827 km2 or 2.250 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
| • Total | 360 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Expulsion by Yishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Kfar Hananya |
In ancient times, it was known as Kfar Hananiah, and was a large Jewish village and a significant pottery production center. Archaeological surveys indicate Kefar Hanania was founded in the Early Roman period, and was inhabited through the Byzantine period. It was resettled in the Middle Ages and the modern era. By mid 1500, the village was wholly Muslim and was known as Kafr 'Inan.
Kafr ʿInān was captured by Israel during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. Those who managed to remain were subsequently expelled from the village by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to the West Bank or to other Arab towns in the newly established Israel. Many villagers managed to "infiltrate" back to Kafr ʿInān, but on three separate occasions in January and February 1949 the Israeli army expelled them.
A shrine for the Sheikh Abu Hajar Azraq and the remains of a small domed building are still standing, along with the remains of various burial sites of rabbis. In 1989, the Israeli village of Kfar Hananya was established on Kafr ʿInān land on a hill adjacent to the former Palestinian village.