Statistic/Fact	Value
Israeli occupation date	July 16, 1948
Distance from district center	7 (km) South of Haifa
Elevation from the sea	60 (meters)
Map location	See location number #6 on the map
Israeli attacking brigade	A special force drawn from the Israeli Navy, Golani, Carmeli, and Alexandroni brigades.
Village defenders	Local Palestinian militia, Arab Liberation Army volunteers, and some assistance from the Iraqi army in Tulkarm and Jinin.
Israeli acts of terror	On 12th of December 1947, Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL) terror gang raided the village and killed 13, and wounded 10 villagers. Also when al-Tira was occupied, the Israeli soldiers massacred and burned 25 to 30 of the village defenders.
Exodus Cause	Military assault by Jewish troops
Village remains after destruction by Israelis	The village has been mostly destroyed with the exception of the village school and three village houses (one of the houses belongs to 'Irsan al-Dhib).
Ethnically cleansing by Israelis	Between 24th April and 3rd May 1948, al-Tira women and children (about 600) were bused out by the British troops to Jinin and Nablus areas, but the fighting men successfully defended their village until second half of July 1948.
Land ownership before occupation	Ethnic Group Land Ownership (Dunums) Arab 23,940 Jewish 6,553 Public 14,769 Total 45,262
Land usage in 1945	Land Usage Type Arab (Dunum) Jewish (Dunum) Irrigated & Plantation 3,543 66 Area planted w/ olives 4,600 0 Planted W/ Cereal 16,304 1,028 Built up 224 677 Cultivable 19,847 1,094 Non-Cultivable 18,638 4,782
Population before occupation	Year Population 1596 286 19th century 1,200 1922 2,346 1931 3,191 1945 5,270 1948 6,113 Est. Refugees 1998 37,542
Number of houses	In (1931): 624 (includes Tira Station, Neuhardhof, Kafr Samir Station, al-Kababir)
Town's name through history	The Crusades referred to al-Tira by St. Yohan de Tire.
Schools	The village had two elementary schools, one was for boys and the another school was for girls (one of the schools is still standing).
Archeological sites	al-Tira contained five khirbas; one of them, Khirbat al-Dayr, which contained the reins of the St. Brocardus monastery, some previously inhabited caves, and a vaulted tunnel
Exculsive jewish colonies on town's lands	ha-Chotrim, Tirat Karmel, Megadim, Kefar Gallim, & Beyt Tzvi
Related Maps	خرائط تفصيلية للمحافظة View from satellite Help us map this town at WikiMapia
More Information	Language External Links Arabic PalGates Hebrew Nakba in Hebrew   Nakba-Online

Bibliography and References

Town Today

According to the Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi, the village remaining structures on the village land are:
"The village site is partly occupied by an Israeli settlement. Some of the houses, such as one belonging to 'Irsan al-Dhib, remain standing. The cemetery is unkempt and there are several broken gravestones. The remains of two shrines are visible and the school is used by Israeli students, both Arab and Jewish. There are forests and some residential houses in the mountainous part of the surrounding land."

• Nakba Oral History Podcast: Interview with Abdel al-Samad Yousef Naji Abu Rashid (Abu Muhammad)
• Nakba Oral History Video Podcast: interview with Muhammad (Salem) Abu Leil
• Nakba oral History interview with Khadir Dirbas