8/31/2024–|Last update: 8/31/202410:57 AM (Makkah Time)
A Palestinian city located in the northeastern West Bank, with an area of about 500 square kilometers, and is the center of Tubas Governorate. It is distinguished by its ancient history, as its name goes back to the Canaanites, and was mentioned in the Roman era, before changing to its current name after the Islamic conquest.
Tubas played an important role in resisting the Israeli occupation, as it was one of the first cities that contributed to igniting the Palestinian revolution in 1965. It also witnessed the emergence of the “Tubas Battalion” in 2022, which participated in confrontations with the Israeli occupation army.
the site
Tubas is located in the West Bank, southeast of Jenin and northeast of Nablus. It is the center of Tubas Governorate, and its area is about 500 square kilometers.
Geography
The city’s land is characterized by its flat surface with some elevations and hills, and it consists of a group of villages. The city is 300 to 600 meters above sea level.
The city’s climate is moderate, hot and dry in summer, while winter sees heavy rainfall. The average temperature in the city is 21 degrees Celsius.
Origin of the name
The origin of the name Tubas goes back to the ancient Canaanite word “Tuba Sios”, which means “shining star”. It was also mentioned in the Roman era as “Thebas” until the Arabs gave it its current name after the Islamic conquest.
Population
The city’s population was estimated at more than 23,000 people in 2021, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The population consists of the “Daragma”, “Sawafta” and “Fuqaha” clans, which include a group of families.
These clans are brought together by the “Tubas Clans Council”, which aims to develop a spirit of social solidarity, joint cooperation and cohesion among them.
In social customs, clans are considered to be the “governing and forbidding” ones, as they intervene in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance transactions, and others.
The Tubasi costume is called “al-Mardan” and is inspired by the traditional Kurdish dress. The women’s costume consists of a loose black silk dress, without any hand embroidery or inscriptions, unlike most Palestinian dresses, a white cloak, and a two-piece white and green head covering, tied at the waist with a piece of the Palestinian keffiyeh.
History of resistance
Tubas city marked its path early on the map of the Palestinian struggle, as it formed one of the pillars of the Palestinian revolution in 1965 and contributed to igniting the armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Due to its border location with Jordan, it paved the way for the revolutionaries to cross and smuggle ammunition and resistance weapons. However, the occupation quickly deployed many nearby military points, which led to a reduction in the strength of the resistance for a period of time.
With the ongoing resistance movement, the city witnessed the emergence of a battalion of resistance fighters confronting the Israeli occupation forces under the name “Tubas Battalion”, affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades – the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement – and announced its launch in mid-July 2022.
In early 2024, armed clashes took place between the battalion and the Israeli occupation army during the occupation’s storming of the city located in the West Bank. The battalion used locally made explosive devices to confront the occupation, which led to the destruction of a number of its vehicles and direct injuries among the Israeli forces.
Many resistance martyrs fell, most notably the commander of the “Tubas Battalion”, Ahmed Daraghmeh, who was martyred on February 27, 2024, during the occupation army’s storming of the city, and Muhammad Rasoul Daraghmeh, one of the battalion’s leaders, who was assassinated on April 12, 2024. Clashes also took place between the battalion’s members and the Palestinian security forces.
Economy
The city’s people depend on agriculture for their economy, as they own large areas of agricultural land from which they produce vegetables, olives, onions, and almond trees. Some of them also work in raising livestock such as goats and cows.
The city has flourished with the trade of consumer goods, cars, furniture, clothing and electronics. Industry is small in the city, as they manufacture building materials and food products, especially canning pickles of all kinds, and soap and pottery.
The city has a number of shops, service establishments and many home craft workshops that provide suitable living conditions for the city’s residents.
The average family income in Tubas was greatly affected following the Second Palestinian Intifada, as family income decreased by 40% in just 4 years.
City landmarks
Hill of the Radgah
The hill consists of ruins and traces of stone-built walls and the remains of basalt presses – volcanic rocks – and to the west of the hill there is a Roman cemetery and a stone-built gate.
Jabaris village
The village is about 300 metres above sea level, and contains ruined tower walls, foundations, columns, upper door lintels and tombs carved into the rock.
Ainun village
It contains the ruins of a village, arched walls, cisterns, basins, carved rocks and indentations in the rocks.
The city’s most prominent figures
Happy Tiger
One of the most prominent pioneers of medicine in Palestine, he graduated in 1914 during the Ottoman Empire, and worked as an officer in the medical services.
After working in the Ottoman army, he joined the ranks of the Great Arab Revolt in 1916. After the revolt, he settled in the city of Jenin, where he opened his own clinic. He was one of the first Palestinians to study and practice medicine.
His son, Issam Saeed Al-Nimr, is one of the scientists at the American Space Agency (NASA). He was born in the city of Jenin, and was among the scientists who gave the final signal to launch space vehicles at the agency.
Ahmed Atef Draghmeh
Football player, born and raised in Tubas, studied primary and secondary school there before joining the Faculty of Physical Education at Al-Quds Open University, and worked with his father in a date factory after graduating.
He belongs to a struggling Palestinian family. His father, Atef Daraghmeh, spent 15 years in occupation prisons. His uncle, Ammar Daraghmeh, was arrested twice and spent 8 years in prison. His brother, Adham Daraghmeh, was imprisoned by the occupation in 2021.
Ahmed was known for his passion for football, as he played for the “Tubas Club” and later moved to the “Tulkarm Cultural Club” and participated in the 2022 sports season and scored 6 goals before being martyred by an Israeli sniper’s bullets in the city of Nablus in the same year.