The history of Iqrit may date back to the time of the Canaanites, who erected a statue of the god Melqart at the site. The Crusaders later occupied the village and called it “Acref.” Like many other villages, Iqrit suffered extensive destruction during the Crusades but was later rebuilt. The village contains several ruins, including remnants of a city, a church, a fortress, sarcophagi, cisterns, columns, foundations, wine and olive presses, and ancient tombs that remain visible today.

Iqrit was once part of the Tebnine subdistrict (Safad District) and was taxed for its goats, beehives, and a press used for either olives or grapes.

By the late 19th century, Iqrit had around 100 inhabitants. Its buildings were constructed of stone, and it had a modern church. The village was located on a hill surrounded by farmland, where residents cultivated fig and olive trees.

The hill on which Iqrit stood contained mosaic floors, remains of a grape press, rock-carved tombs, water cisterns, and flint tools. Other archaeological sites were located near the village.

The Entry of Israeli Forces into Iqrit
On the second day of Operation Hiram, Israeli forces reached Iqrit. The region was empty of Arab Liberation Army forces when the villagers raised a white flag atop the church on the morning of Sunday, October 31, 1948. Soldiers from the 92nd Battalion of the Israeli army entered the village without resistance, as the villagers had no weapons.

The Displacement of Iqrit’s Residents
On the morning of Friday, November 5, 1948, the Israeli military commander, Moshe Irm, ordered the villagers to prepare to leave for the nearby village of Rameh for two weeks. The reason given was to protect them while military exercises took place in the border area near Iqrit.

The forced displacement began at dawn on November 6, 1948, and lasted for three days. The villagers were transported by Israeli army trucks. Around sixty residents, along with the village priest, were left behind to guard the homes, as army officers claimed, for six months. However, on April 29, 1949, Israeli army trucks relocated the remaining group to Rameh, completely emptying Iqrit of its inhabitants.

In 1949, the Israeli Minister of Defense declared Iqrit and its surrounding area a closed military zone.

Destruction of Iqrit
After the villagers were expelled, their homes—left full of belongings—were looted, and their valuable possessions stolen. The houses were later dismantled, their stones taken, and the fertile vineyards uprooted. This was part of an effort to eradicate all traces of human life and heritage from the village. The Israeli army ultimately dynamited the houses, reducing Iqrit to ruins.

What Remains of Iqrit Today?
The only structure left standing in Iqrit is the Greek Catholic Church, a stone-built structure with a flat roof and a rectangular bell tower. The church features a rectangular doorway with an ornate arch above it, including engraved inscriptions on the lintel. The main façade is decorated with a collection of crosses, including a large Latin cross above the entrance, flanked by two smaller crosses.