Masua

---

title: "Masua" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["moshavim", "israeli-settlements-in-the-west-bank", "populated-places-established-in-1969", "1969-establishments-in-the-israeli-military-governorate"] description: "Israeli settlement in the West Bank" topic_path: "geography/israel" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masua" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Israeli settlement in the West Bank ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Kibbutz"]

Field	Value
name	Masua
image	File:Masua 001.jpg
foundation	1969
founded_by	Nahal
region	West Bank
country	Palestine
district	js
council	Bik'at HaYarden
affiliation	HaOved HaTzioni
popyear
population
population_footnotes
pushpin_map	Israel shomron
coordinates
hebname	מַשּׂוּאָה
::

| name = Masua | image = File:Masua 001.jpg | foundation = 1969 | founded_by = Nahal | region = West Bank | country = Palestine | district = js | council = Bik'at HaYarden | affiliation = HaOved HaTzioni | popyear = | population = | population_footnotes= | pushpin_map=Israel shomron |pushpin_mapsize=250 | coordinates = | website = |hebname=מַשּׂוּאָה}}

Masua (, lit. Torch, ), also transliterated as Massu'a, is an Israeli settlement organized as a moshav shitufi in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley, with an area of 6,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. In it had a population of .

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli and US governments dispute this.

History

The village was established in 1969 as a Nahal settlement, and was converted to a civilian moshav by a HaOved HaTzioni gar'in five years later.

According to ARIJ, Israel has confiscated 2,209 dunams of land from the Palestinian village of Al-Jiftlik in order to construct Masua.

Sartava Nature Reserve

Four kilometers west-southwest of Masua is the Sartava Nature Reserve, named in tribute to a mountain from which, in Mishnaic times, Jews would relay signals via torch to indicate that a new month had been proclaimed.

The summit of Sartava has remains of a fort built by King Alexander of Judea. The area of Sartava, which is split down its length due to the Great Rift Valley, is unique in that it embodies a transition between the Mediterranean habitats of Samaria on the one hand and the more desert-like habitats of the Arava on the other.

References

References

1. "משואה".
2. (10 December 2009). "The Geneva Convention". [[BBC News]].
3. [http://vprofile.arij.org/jericho/pdfs/vprofile/Al%20Jiftlik_en_FINAL.pdf Al Jiftlik Village Profile] p. 17, ARIJ
4. "Tractate Rosh Hashana: Chapter II". [[American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise]].
5. Hareuveni. Imanuel. (1985). [[Israel Ministry of Defense]]

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