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Before the War
The British had been controlling Palestine before the war started. The United Nations voted to partition the British mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Conflict immediately broke out between the Arabs and Jews in Palestine. -
The Start
As British troops prepared to withdraw from Palestine, conflict between the Arabs and Jews continued to escalate. Both countries would commit belligerence against each other. -
The Attacks
Israel would attack an Arab village called Dayr Yāsīn on April 9, 1948. The Arabs would then retaliate and attack Jewish convoy headed for Hadassah Hospital, killing 78. -
Withdrawal
On May 15,1948, British withdrew and Israel would declare independence. The next day, Arab forces from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon occupied the areas in southern and eastern Palestine. -
Period: to
Temporary Peace
As a result of separate armistice agreements between Israel and each of the Arab states, a temporary frontier was fixed between Israel and its neighbors. In Israel, the war is remembered as its War of Independence and in the Arab world, it came to be known as the Nakbah or Catastrophe.