One of the major outcomes of the War of Independence, beyond the establishment of State of Israel, was the creation of Arab refugees. This matter remains one of the most contentious topics in history, with Palestinians referring to the period as the “Nakba,” which translated to “the tragedy.”

So, what led to “the Nakba”? The first stage of the Arab departure from the country occurred shortly after the United Nations approval of the partition resolution. Approximately 30,000 Palestinians, predominantly affluent individuals with liquid assets, left, primarily heading to Beirut and Cairo.

When the Palmach captured Jaffa, a Swiss observer noted:

Immediately everyone was consumed with terror, and soon the evacuations started. In the hospitals, the drivers of cars and ambulances took their vehicles, assembled their families, and fled and complete disregard of their responsibilities. Many of the ill, nurses, even physicians, the part of the hospital wearing the clothes they had on and fled to the countryside. For all of them, the one obsession was escape at any cost.

During the initial stages of the war, when the Arab armies were on the offensive, the pace at which refugees were fleeing slowed. However, this changed after the first ceasefire, as Israeli forces took the offensive and the number of refugees increased. At this point, the Israelis were no longer interested in persuading Arabs to stay. In fact they encouraged Arab villagers, particularly in the southern regions, to leave. The scenario in the Galilee was somewhat different. For the most part, any village that chose to stay was permitted to do so. This was particularly true of Druze communities, being a notable example where this approach was especially evident.

The most blatant case of Israel prompting Arabs to leave occurred in Ramla and Lod, where the IDF actively facilitated relocation of the Arab residents, by assisting them in boarding buses to leave the towns. By the conclusion of the war, a total of 720,000 Arabs had left. Of them, 240,000 remained within the boundaries of Palestine by relocating to the West Bank.