Abu-Ageila
In 1930, there were about 10,000 'Azazme Bedouin Egyptians, related to the Tarabin in El Arish, living in the area. By 1948, the number was only 3,500. Land ownership was often disputed between the inhabitants.
In his 2013 biography of Ariel Sharon, 'Arik: The Life of Ariel Sharon', David Landau records that, during the Israeli occupation of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Sharon ordered the secret expulsion from Abu Ageila of 3,000 of its inhabitants in late January 1972. Ostensibly, this was to clear the way for a military exercise code-named Oz (meaning "Valour" in Hebrew) in preparation for an attack on the Suez Canal were a further war to break out between Israel and Egypt. The expulsion order was executed by Israeli military personnel over three days during the onset of freezing temperatures in the desert. No warning was given to the inhabitants, and no time was allowed for them to collect their belongings before being removed from their homes. Lt. Gen. David Elazar later ordered that the expelled inhabitants be allowed to return.
Gallery
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Egyptian water tanks at Abu Ageila. 1948
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Ruafa dam, 1948
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Ruafa dam. 1948