Editing Isdud (section)

== Excavation ==
[[File:Isdud, circa 1914-18.jpg|thumb|Isdud, c. 1914–1918]]

=== British Mandate ===
[[File:Isdud 1930.jpg|thumb|left|Isdud 1930 1:20,000]]
[[File:Isdud 1945.jpg|thumb|left|Isdud 1945 1:250,000]]

In the [[1922 census of Palestine]], conducted by the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate]] authorities, Isdud had a population of 2,566 inhabitants; 2,555 Muslims and 11 Christians,<ref name=Barron>Barron, 1923, Table V, Sub-district of Gaza, p. [http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/PalestineCensus1922/p08.pdf 8] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404044554/http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/PalestineCensus1922/p08.pdf |date=2015-04-04 }}</ref> where the Christians were all [[Catholic Church|Catholics]].<ref>Barron, 1923, Table XIII, p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n46/mode/1up  44] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020103207/https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n46/mode/1up |date=2017-10-20 }}</ref>

The population increased in the [[1931 census of Palestine|1931 census]] to 3,240; 3,238 Muslims and 2 Christians, in a total of 764 houses.<ref name="Census1931">Mills, 1932, p. [https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas 4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610051350/https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas |date=2016-06-10 }}.</ref>

During the Mandatory period, Isdud had two elementary schools; one for boys which was opened in 1922, and one for girls which started in 1942. By the mid-1940s the boy-school had 371 students, while the girl-school had 74.<ref>Khalidi, 1992, p.111.</ref>

The official [[Village Statistics, 1945]] for "Isdûd" gave a population of 4,620 Arabs and 290 Jews in a total land area of 47,871 [[dunam]]s [{{convert|4787.1|ha|acre}}].<ref name=1945p31>Department of Statistics, 1945, p. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg 31] No. 33 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005024340/http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg |date=2016-10-05 }}</ref><ref name=Hadawi45>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Gaza/Page-045.jpg 45] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150132/http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Gaza/Page-045.jpg |date=2015-09-24 }}</ref> Of this, 3,277 dunams were used citrus and bananas, 8,327 for plantations and irrigable land, 23,762 for cereals,<ref>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20II/Gaza/Page-087.jpg 87] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906133609/http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20II/Gaza/Page-087.jpg |date=2018-09-06 }}</ref> while 131 dunams were built-on land.<ref>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20III/Gaza/Page-137.jpg 137] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906133508/http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20III/Gaza/Page-137.jpg |date=2018-09-06 }}</ref>

In addition to agriculture, residents practiced [[animal husbandry]] which formed was an important source of income for the town. In 1943, they owned 480 heads of [[cattle]], 117 [[sheep]] over a year old, 50 [[Goat|goats]] over a year old, 169 [[Camel|camels]], 18 [[Horse|horses]], 21 [[Mule|mules]], 328 [[Donkey|donkeys]], 5790 [[Fowl|fowls]], and 3079 [[Domestic pigeon|pigeons]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Marom |first=Roy |author-link=Roy Marom |last2=Taxel |first2=Itamar |date=2024-10-10 |title=Hamama: The Palestinian Countryside in Bloom (1750–1948) |url=https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JIA/article/view/26586 |journal=Journal of Islamic Archaeology |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=93 |doi=10.1558/jia.26586 |issn=2051-9729|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===1948 Arab–Israeli War===
[[File:The area around Isdud and Majdal in the UN Palestine Partition Versions 1947 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The area around Isdud and [[al-Majdal, Askalan|Majdal]] had been allocated to the Arab state in the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine]]]]

The village of Isdud was occupied by the [[Egyptian army]] on May 29, 1948, and became the Egyptians' northernmost position during the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War|1948 Arab-Israeli War]]. While the Israelis failed to capture territory, and suffered heavy casualties, Egypt changed its strategy from offensive to defensive, thus halting their advance northwards.<ref>[http://www.hsje.org/pstnwsclps/4806-Egypt/480608-EGYPT%27S%20NAVY%20LANDS%20ISDUD%20RELIEF%20FORCE.pdf New York Times]{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} June 8, 1948</ref> Egyptian and Israeli forces clashed in the surrounding area, with the Egyptians being unable to hold the [[Ad Halom]] bridge over the [[Lakhish River|Lachish River]]. Israeli forces surrounded the town during [[Operation Pleshet]], and shelled and bombed it from the air.<ref>{{cite book|title=Battle Sites in the Land of Israel|page=24|language=he|publisher=[[Carta (publisher)|Carta]]|location=Israel|year=2003|isbn=965-220-494-3|author=Yehudah Ṿalakh ...}}</ref> For three nights from 18 October the [[Israeli Air Force]] bombed Isdud and several other locations.<ref>Khalidi, 1992, p. 112</ref> Fearing encirclement, Egyptian forces retreated on October 28, 1948, and the majority of the residents fled.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.zochrot.org/en/village/48983 |title=Zochrot - Isdud |access-date=2018-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428035410/http://zochrot.org/en/village/48983 |archive-date=2018-04-28 |url-status=live }}</ref> The 300 townspeople who remained were driven southwards by the [[Israel Defense Forces]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=International Middle East media Center |title= From Isdud to Ashdod: One man's immigrant dream; another's refugee nightmare |date= April 13, 2006 |url= http://www.imemc.org/article/18022 |access-date= September 21, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070926220630/http://www.imemc.org/article/18022 |archive-date= 26 September 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>Morris (2004), p. 471.</ref> The village was part of territory that was granted to Israel in the [[1949 Armistice Agreements]] following the end of the war.

===Israel===
In 1950, two [[moshav]]im, [[Sde Uziyahu]] and [[Shtulim]], were established to the east of Isdud, on village land. [[Bnei Darom]] (in 1949) and [[Gan HaDarom]] (in 1953) were established  north of Isdud, on village land.<ref>Khalidi, 1992, pp. 112-13</ref> The city of [[Ashdod]] was founded in 1956 {{convert|4|km|mi|sp=us}} north of Isdud.

In 1992, Isdud was reported as destroyed, with only a few ruined buildings including the village mosque remaining.<ref>Khalidi (1992), p113.</ref>