Abu Qash is a Palestinian village located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the northern West Bank, located north of Ramallah and south of the Birzeit University. According to the 2017 census conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of 2,237.

Location

Abu Qash is located 5.3 km north of Ramallah. It is bordered by Surda and Jifna to the east, Bir Zeit to the north, Al-Zaytouneh and Ramallah to the west, and by Ramallah and Surda to the south.

History

Abu Qash was founded in the Ottoman period by settlers from Beitunia during the Qays–Yaman war. Earlier remains found at the site include two tombs dating to the Byzantine period, and sherds from both the Byzantine and Mamluk eras.

Ottoman era

Sherds from the early Ottoman era have also been found here. In 1838 it was noted by Edward Robinson as a Muslim village, Abu Kush, in Beni Harith district, north of Jerusalem. In 1863 Victor Guérin noted it as "A hamlet of about twenty houses, situated on a high hill, the slopes of which are partly covered with vines, olive trees and fig trees." An Ottoman village list of about 1870 indicated that the village had 25 houses and a population of 78, though the population count included men, only. It was further noted that it was located just west of Surda. In 1882 the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Abu Kush as: "a very small hamlet, with a well on the north, on an ancient road, with a few olives near." In 1896 the population of Abu Kusch was estimated to be about 204 persons.

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, the population of Abu Qash was 171 Muslims, increasing in the 1931 census to 246 inhabitants, in 49 houses. In the 1945 statistics Abu Qash had a population of 300 Muslims, and a total land area of 4,751 dunams. 1,166 dunams were for plantations and irrigable land, 1,447 were for cereals, while 42 dunams were built-up areas.

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Abu Qosh came under Jordanian rule. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950. In 1961, the population was 510.

Post-1967

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Abu Qash has been under Israeli occupation. After the 1995 Oslo II accords, 99.8% of Abu Qash land was classified as Area B land and the remaining 0.2% as Area C.