[3] In the early French Mandate period in Syria, Halfaya was a musha' ("collective farming") village with a population of roughly 1,000.

During that period, twelve clans collectively held the 47 faddans that made up the village, despite the fact that property titles indicated that the land was divided between the holders.

The fighting and shelling resulted in the deaths of 23 civilians in the town according to the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR),[5] and a later report by New Lines Institute.

[citation needed] In late August 2014, the rebels took control of Halfaya as part of their push towards Hama's military airport.

[12] On 30 November 2024 during the Hama offensive, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels captured the city from the Syrian Army but were repulsed not long afterward.