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Al-Khiyam

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Al-Khiyam (Arabic: الخيام; sometimes spelled Khiam) is a large town in the Nabatieh Governorate of Southern Lebanon.

Al-Khiyam
الخيام
Town
Al-Khiyam
Al-Khiyam
Map showing the location of Al-Khiyam within Lebanon
Map showing the location of Al-Khiyam within Lebanon
Al-Khiyam
Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 33°19′38″N 35°36′40″E / 33.32722°N 35.61111°E / 33.32722; 35.61111
Grid position137/154L
Country Lebanon
GovernorateNabatieh Governorate
DistrictMarjayoun District
Elevation
1,265 m (4,150 ft)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total28,580[1]
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Dialing code+961

Location

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Al-Khiyam is situated approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) south from the capital city of Beirut and 35 kilometres (22 mi) south-east from the city of Nabatieh. The border with Israel is 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the south. Khiam lies at a height of 800 metres (2,625 ft) above sea level.

Origin of name

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According to Edward Henry Palmer, the name means tents.[2] Haifa Nassar, a Khiyam-based journalist, cites sources that confirm this. Muhammad Qubaisi, author of a book on South Lebanon, writes that according to the Torah, Jacob moved his family and livestock to the plain of Al-Khiam, where he lived in tents.[3]

History

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Ottoman period

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In 1596, the village of Hiyam was an Ottoman nahiya (subdistrict) of Tibnin under the liwa' (district) of Safad, with a population of 111 Muslim households and 7 bachelors. The villagers paid a tax on wheat, barley, olive trees, vineyards, goats and beehives, in addition to "occasional revenues"; a total of 6,914 akçe.[4][5]

In 1838, Eli Smith writes about el-Khiyam'," a Metawileh, "Greek" Christian and Maronite village in Merj 'Ayun'.[6]

In 1875, Victor Guérin visited: "El Khiam contains two quarters: the one on the south, with a population of 700 Metawileh, and the other on the north, with 600 Christians, divided into Maronites, Greek-Orthodox, and Greek-Catholics, with some Protestants, who have founded a chapel and a school."[7]

In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "A village, northeast of the Merj Ayun, built of stone, containing about 300 Christians and 200 Druze. It contains a white round Moslem holy place and a modern church. It is situated on a low ridge, surrounded by figs, olives, and arable. The water supply is from three rock-cut cisterns, one birket, and the good spring of 'Ain ed Derdarah."[8]

French mandate period

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The municipality of Al-Khiyam was established in 1928 during the French Mandate.The first municipal council, led by Haj Mohammad Haj Hussein Abdullah, was dissolved in 1931.

In 1935, Haj Ali Afandi Haj Ibrahim Abdullah was elected mayor. In 1937, he stepped down after being appointed to the Lebanese parliament. [9]

After independence

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In 1953, Haj Khalil Haidar was re-elected and served as mayor until 1957. In 1957, he was replaced by Hassan Ali Faiz who remained in this position until 1963. A new council was elected in 1963, with 16 members, and Kamel Mohammad Ali Al-Daoui as the mayor and Haj Asaad Khalil Mhana as the deputy mayor. This council continued its work until the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975.[10]

During the 1990s, Al-Khiam was the site of the Khiam Detention Center, operated by the South Lebanon Army during the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon. Lebanese Muslim civilians were exposed to torture by Israeli and Lebanese agents in this camp and faced indefinite detention once arrested.[11] The prison was captured by Hezbollah during the Battle of Khiam in 2000, shortly before the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon.

The town saw a major confrontation between the Israeli Army and Hezbollah fighters in the 2006 Lebanon War, during which a United Nations post was bombed by the Israeli Army killing four United Nations Military Observers.[12] The IDF and Hezbollah clashed in the area once again in June 2024, with fighter jets and artillery strikes.[13][14]

In October 2024, the village of Al-Khiyam become the site of heavy fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah. On 29 October, Israeli tanks entered the outskirts of the Khaim, marking their deepest push into southern Lebanon since launching a ground operation in September. By 2 November 2024, Israeli forces had withdrawn from the settlement.[15]

Demographics

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In 2014 Muslims made up 93,17% and Christians 6,48% of registered voters in Al-Khiyam. 91,29% of the voters were Shiite Muslims.[16]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "Khiam Village Profile (UNDP 2010)". civilsociety-centre.org.
  2. ^ Palmer, 1881, p. 26
  3. ^ "مصادر ومراجع". Khiyam.com. August 14, 2024. The article discusses various theories regarding the origin of the name of the town Al-Khiyam, referencing historical sources and local traditions.
  4. ^ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 181
  5. ^ Note that Rhode, 1979, p. 6 Archived 2016-10-10 at the Wayback Machine writes that the register that Hütteroth and Abdulfattah studied was not from 1595/6, but from 1548/9
  6. ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 137
  7. ^ Guerin, 1880, p. 279; as given in Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 88
  8. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 88
  9. ^ "تاريخ بلدية الخيام". Khiyam.com. 2024. The article details the history of the Al-Khiyam municipality, tracing its origins back to an initial attempt in 1916 during the Ottoman period, its official establishment in 1928 under the French Mandate, and the various leaderships and challenges it faced throughout the 20th century.
  10. ^ "تاريخ بلدية الخيام". Khiyam.com. 2024. The article details the history of the Al-Khiyam municipality, tracing its origins back to an initial attempt in 1916 during the Ottoman period, its official establishment in 1928 under the French Mandate, and the various leaderships and challenges it faced throughout the 20th century.
  11. ^ "Torture in Khiam Prison: Responsibility and Accountability". Human Rights Watch. 1999-10-27. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  12. ^ HRW, 2007, pp. 114-116
  13. ^ Jamal, Urooba; Siddiqui, Usaid (2024-06-21). "Israel's attack on makeshift camp in Gaza kills 25 Palestinians". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  14. ^ "Israel and Hezbollah: Fears of escalation after flurry of attacks". BBC News. 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  15. ^ "20 missing in Khiam confirmed dead, rescuers report". L'Orient Today. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  16. ^ "المحافظات". lub-anan.com.
  17. ^ "Ali Daher - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.

Bibliography

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