1948 Arab–Israeli War

The conflict fought in Palestine from 1947 to 1949 between Jewish and Palestinian forces, then Israel and several Arab states, during the end of British rule and Israel’s establishment.

1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine: Fighting between Jewish and Arab communities in Mandatory Palestine from the UN partition vote in 1947 until Israel’s establishment in 1948. This first phase preceded the Arab states’ invasion and shaped control of territory before the British departure.
British Mandate for Palestine: The League of Nations mandate under which Britain administered Palestine from 1920 until 1948. British withdrawal created the immediate political vacuum in which the war began.
Nakba: The mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 war and its aftermath. The war’s Palestinian displacement became a defining national catastrophe.
1948 Palestinian exodus: The flight and expulsion of Palestinians from their homes during the 1948 war and its aftermath. This term focuses on displacement, while “Nakba” also names its broader collective meaning.
David Ben-Gurion: The Zionist leader who became Israel’s first prime minister and declared the state’s independence in 1948. He led Israel’s government and directed major decisions during the war.
Arab League invasion of Palestine: The entry of Egyptian, Transjordanian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese forces into the former Mandate after Israel declared independence in May 1948. It marks the war’s shift from intercommunal fighting to a regional conflict.
Zionism: A Jewish nationalist movement advocating a homeland in the historic Land of Israel. Zionist efforts to establish a state shaped Jewish political aims and wartime mobilization.
Palestinian refugee: A person displaced from Palestine during the 1948 war or a descendant recognized under UNRWA’s definition. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians became refugees during the conflict.
1948 Arab–Israeli War in Israeli historiography: The interpretations of the 1948 war developed by Israeli historians, including disputes over military aims and Palestinian displacement. Israeli historical accounts offer a distinct framework for interpreting the same events.
Abdullah I of Jordan: The king of Transjordan from 1921 to 1951, whose Arab Legion fought in Palestine in 1948. His forces secured Jordanian control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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