Odala () is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate in northern West Bank, located south of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of 1,566 inhabitants in 2017.
Location Odala is located south of Nablus. It is bordered by Huwara to the west, Beita to the south and east, and ‘Awarta to the east and north.Odala Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 4
History Shards from Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Ayyubid and Mamluk eras have been found here.Finkelstein et al., 1997, p. 699
Ottoman era Shards from the early Ottoman era have been found here. In 1596 the village appeared in Ottoman tax registers under the name of ‘’Udala’’, and as being in the nahiya of Jabal Qubal in the liwa of Nablus. It had a population of 18 households and 2 bachelors, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 33,3 % on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a press for olive oil or syrup; a total of 3,000 akçe. One quarter of the revenue went to a Waqf.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 134
In 1838, Haudela was noted as a village in the District of El-Beitawy, east of Nablus.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 128Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, p. 94
In 1870 Victor Guérin noted it as a village surrounded by olive and fig trees.Guérin, 1874, p. 461
In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described Audelah as a small hamlet, on the low hills east of the Mukhnah plain.Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 288
British Mandate era In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Audala had a population of 64 Muslims,Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 25 increasing in the 1931 census to 73 Muslim, in 17 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 66
In the 1945 statistics Odala together with Awarta had a population of 1,470, all Muslims,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 18 with 16,106 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 59 Of this, 30 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 9,406 used for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 105 while 130 dunams were built-up land.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 155
Jordanian era In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Odala came under Jordanian rule.
The Jordanian census of 1961 found 179 inhabitants.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 25
1967-present Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Odala has been under Israeli occupation.
After the 1995 accords, 89% of the village land is defined as Area B land, while the remaining 11% is defined as Area C.Odala Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 15
In May, 2021, the Israeli army shot and killed 16 year old Said Yousef Mohammad Odeh from Odala. There were "confrontations" at the entrance at Odala at the time, but his family stated that the 10-grader was not involved, while the Israeli army stated that he was.Palestinian teen shot dead by Israeli army during clashes outside Nablus, Hagar Shezaf, Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury, May 5, 2021, HaaretzIsraeli forces shoot, kill 16-year-old Palestinian boy, May 5, 2021, dci-palestine.org The Defence for Children International - Palestine, stated: "Israeli forces reportedly confronted Palestinian youth at the village entrance prior to the shooting. Saeed was not involved in the confrontations at the time he was shot, according to information collected by our team.
"Israeli forces deployed in a nearby olive grove fired live ammunition at Saeed as he approached the village entrance. He sustained at least two gunshot wounds: in the back near his right shoulder and pelvis. Both bullets exited from the front."Israeli investigation after 16-year-old Palestinian boy shot dead by soldiers, Sky news His cousin was shot at the same time, but survived.
References
Bibliography
External links Welcome To Udala Survey of Western Palestine, Map 14: IAA, Wikimedia commons Odala Village Profile, Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) Odala, aerial photo, (ARIJ) Development Priorities and Needs in Odala, (ARIJ)