The anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) falls in mid-May each year, recalling a tragic chapter that began with the escalation of Jewish settlement and ended with the occupation of the land. These events culminated in attacks launched by armed Zionist gangs targeting Palestinian villages and cities between 1947 and 1948, leading to bloody confrontations with Arab armies.
These systematic attacks resulted in the displacement of about 957,000 Palestinians from their homes, out of a population of 1.4 million who lived in about 1,300 cities and villages. These forcibly displaced persons were distributed between the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and neighboring Arab countries, while thousands of others faced internal displacement under the authority of the occupation.
The roots of the settlement project date back to the second half of the 19th century, when Zionist ideology sought to control Palestinian lands. The Ottoman era witnessed the first beginnings of this expansion, especially after the London Conference in 1840, and the emergence of the British millionaire Lionel de Rothschild's role in financing the first settlements.
The year 1917 marked a dangerous turning point with the issuance of the "Balfour Declaration," in which Britain pledged to establish a national home for Jews in Palestine. With the start of the British Mandate, the authorities harnessed their capabilities to support Jewish expansion and facilitate control over strategic locations, paving the way for the major displacement operations that occurred later.
During that period, armed Zionist organizations such as "Haganah," "Irgun," and "Lehi" (Stern Gang) emerged, taking charge of implementing military plans. These gangs built dozens of settlements and trained their members for combat, in preparation for launching widespread raids against unarmed Palestinian civilians and British forces alike.
In 1947, Britain referred the Palestine file to the United Nations, which issued Resolution 181, the Partition Plan. Under this resolution, Jews were granted 56% of historical Palestine, while Arabs were allocated only 43%, which Palestinians and Arabs rejected outright and considered an illegitimate decision.
In response to the Partition Plan, Arabs formed the "Arab Liberation Army" with the participation of volunteers from various Arab countries to resist the Zionist project. Despite popular enthusiasm, the army suffered from a lack of training and equipment, as its armament consisted of a mixture of old rifles and limited equipment that was insufficient to confront the organized gangs.
The Zionist leadership adopted what was known as "Plan Dalet" in March 1948, a military plan aimed at controlling the largest possible area before Britain's withdrawal. The plan included launching offensive operations to destroy Palestinian villages and expel their residents, and securing the roads connecting major settlements and Jerusalem.
That period witnessed the commission of brutal massacres to instill terror in the hearts of Palestinians, most notably the Semiramis Hotel massacre and the Deir Yassin massacre. In Deir Yassin, about 254 Palestinians were martyred in a bloody attack that included mutilation of bodies and direct targeting of women and children, prompting thousands to flee in fear of a similar fate.
Palestinian resistance fighters fought heroic battles, most notably the Battle of Al-Qastal, in which Commander Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni was martyred. Al-Husayni issued a resounding cry to the Arab League before his martyrdom, warning of the loss of Palestine due to the lack of military support and necessary weapons to confront the advanced Zionist arsenal.
At midnight on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel immediately after the end of the British Mandate. Major powers, led by the United States and the Soviet Union, rushed to recognize the new entity, providing international cover for the usurpation of Palestinian land.
Arab armies from Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Lebanon officially entered the war following the declaration of occupation, fighting fierce battles in Bab al-Wad, Jenin, and Faluja. The Jordanian army managed to preserve Jerusalem and the West Bank, while the Iraqi army achieved important victories in Jenin before operations ceased due to political decisions.
The Egyptian army faced organizational difficulties and a shortage of weapons, but it fought battles of steadfastness in Faluja with the participation of officers who later rose to prominence in Egyptian history. However, the imposition of an international truce and the occupation's continuous violation of it led to the retreat of Arab forces and the loss of control over vast areas of the country.
The war ended with the signing of armistice agreements in 1949, which established a new reality known as the "Green Line." Since then, the Nakba has remained a bleeding wound in Palestinian memory, as refugees continue to cling to their right of return to their homes from which they were displaced decades ago.
You are criminals, history will record that you lost Palestine. I will occupy Al-Qastal, and I and all my mujahideen brothers will die.
شارك برأيك
The Palestinian Nakba: Milestones of Conflict from the First Settlement to the Declaration of Occupation