on 20 august 1948, the jewish national fund called for building a settlement on some of al-birwa's lands, and on 6 january 1949, yas'ur, a kibbutz, was established there. in 1950, the moshav of ahihud was inaugurated on the village's western lands. according to palestinian historian walid khalidi, one of al-birwa's schools, two shrines for local sages, and three houses remained standing as of 1982. one of the shrines was domed and built of stone. most of the structures stood amid cacti, weeds, olive and fig groves, and mulberry trees. most of al-birwa's inhabitants fled to nearby arab towns and villages, including tamra, kabul, jadeidi-makr, kafr yasif, and other localities. some fled to lebanon, and ended up in the shatila refugee camp, in the outskirts of beirut, where palestinian historian nafez nazzal interviewed them in 1973. among the refugees of al-birwa was mahmoud darwish, who was born in the village in 1941 and lived part of his childhood there.