Khirbat al-'Umur was a Palestinian Arab village in the Jerusalem Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the 1948 Palestine war by the Har'el Brigade during Operation Ha-Har. It was 12 km west of Jerusalem on the Wadi al-Ghadir.
History An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed that chirbet el-'amur had a population of 69, with a total of 13 houses, though the population count included men, only. It also noted that it was located in the District of Beni Malik, south of Abu Ghosh, and east of Saris.Socin, 1879, p. 150Hartmann, 1883, p. 118 also noted 13 houses
In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described El Ammur as "A small hamlet on the slope above a deep valley. There is a fine perennial spring below on the south ('Ain Mahtush). There are olives beneath the village."Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 16
British Mandate era In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Kherbet al-'Amur had a population of 137 Muslims,Barron, 1923, Table VII, Sub-district of Jerusalem, p. 14 increasing in the 1931 census to 187 Muslims, in 45 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 44
In the 1945 statistics, the village had a population of 270 Muslims, while the total land area was 4,163 dunams, according to an official land and population survey. Of this, 497 dunams were used for plantations and irrigable land, 1,279 for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 103 while 10 dunams were classified as built-up areas.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 153
1948, aftermath Khirbat al-'Umur became depopulated on October 21, 1948, after military assault by Yishuv forces.
In 1950, Giv'at Ye'arim was founded on village land.
In 1992, the village site was described: "Stone rubble and window and door frames, partly hidden by wild grass, are scattered across the village site. Many stone terraces are visible. Cactuses grow on the east and north sides of the village site, and almond, olive, fig, and cypress trees grow on the village site itself. The village cemetery, to the south, is covered with dirt and grass but many graves are visible; tombstones stand at the head and foot of each one. The spring of 'Ayn al-'Umur and the stone structure around it can still be seen."
References
Bibliography
External links Welcome To al-'Umur, Khirbat Khirbat al-'Umur, Zochrot Tour of Khirbat al-’Umur, 09/10/2015, Zochrot Survey of Western Palestine, Map 17: IAA, Wikimedia commons Al-'Umur, Khirbat, from the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center