Odala is located 7.6 kilometers (4.7 mi) south of Nablus. It is bordered by Huwara to the west, Beita to the south and east, and ‘Awarta to the east and north.[3]
Shards from the early Ottoman era have been found here.[4]
In 1596 the village appeared in Ottoman tax registers under the name of ‘’Udala’’, and as being in the nahiya of Jabal Qubal in the liwa of Nablus. It had a population of 18 households and 2 bachelors, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 33,3 % on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a press for olive oil or syrup; a total of 3,000 akçe. One quarter of the revenue went to a Waqf.[5]
In 1838, Haudela was noted as a village in the District of El-Beitawy, east of Nablus.[6][7]
In 1870 Victor Guérin noted it as a village surrounded by olive and fig trees.[8]
In the 1945 statistics Odala together with Awarta had a population of 1,470, all Muslims,[12] with 16,106 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[13] Of this, 30 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 9,406 used for cereals,[14] while 130 dunams were built-up land.[15]
After the 1995 accords, 89% of the village land is defined as Area B land, while the remaining 11% is defined as Area C.[17]
In May, 2021, the Israeli army shot and killed 16 year old Said Yousef Mohammad Odeh from Odala. There were
"confrontations" at the entrance at Odala at the time, but his family stated that the 10-grader was not involved, while the Israeli army stated that he was.[18][19] The Defence for Children International - Palestine, stated: "Israeli forces reportedly confronted Palestinian youth at the village entrance prior to the shooting. Saeed was not involved in the confrontations at the time he was shot, according to information collected by our team.
"Israeli forces deployed in a nearby olive grove fired live ammunition at Saeed as he approached the village entrance. He sustained at least two gunshot wounds: in the back near his right shoulder and pelvis. Both bullets exited from the front."[20] His cousin was shot at the same time, but survived.[18]
