List of killings and massacres in Mandatory Palestine

This is a list of killings and massacres committed in Mandatory Palestine. It is restricted to incidents in which at least three people were deliberately killed. This list does not include unlawful deaths due to criminal activity. It includes all casualties that resulted from the initial attack on civilians or non-combat military personnel.

Note: The designation "responsible party" below refers to those believed to be the principle instigators of the violence. Where culpability is disputed or ambiguous, the sources cited support the chosen designation.

Individual massacres during the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine are listed below. In total during the course of these events between September 27, 1937 – 1939 5,000 Arabs, 415 Jews, several hundred Britons were killed^[1]

List of killings and massacres committed in Mandate Palestine

Name	Date	Responsible party	Fatalities	notes
Battle of Tel Hai	March 1, 1920	Arabs	13	8 Jews killed;[1] 5 Arabs killed.
Nebi Musa riots	April 4–7, 1920	Arabs	9	5 Jews, 4 Arabs killed; 216 Jews, 18 Arabs, 7 Britons wounded[1][2][3]
Jaffa riots	May 1–7, 1921	Arabs	95	48 Arabs, 47 Jews killed; 140 Jews, 73 Arabs wounded.
NA	November 2, 1921	Arabs	5	5 Jews killed in Jerusalem in stabbing attack. Multiple wounded, including women and children.[4]
Palestine Riots	August 23–29, 1929	Arabs	249	133 Jews, 116 Arabs killed; 339 Jews, 232 Arabs wounded[1][2][3][5][6]
Hebron massacre	August 24, 1929	Arabs	67	67 Jews killed; 58 Jews wounded (included in "Palestine riots" above)
Safed massacre	August 29, 1929	Arabs	20	18–20 Jews killed; 80 Jews wounded (included in "Palestine riots" above)[6]
1933 Palestine riots	October 28, 1933	Arabs	20
1936 Anabta shooting	April 15, 1936	Arabs	2	2 Jews killed, 1 shot but survived in road block with Jewish drivers selected out and shot [7][8][9]
The Bloody Day in Jaffa (Hebrew: יום הדמים ביפו)	April 19–20, 1936	Arabs	21	9 Jews killed, 40 Jews wounded (11 critically) in Arab attack in Jaffa. Police killed two attackers. Further 7 Jews and 3 Arabs killed the next day[10][11][12]
Labor Strike Revolt	April 20 – October 12, 1936	Arabs, Jews, British authorities	314	197 Arabs killed and 823 wounded, 80 Jews killed and 300 wounded, 37 military and police killed and 95 wounded.[13]
NA	August 13, 1937	Arabs	4	4 members of a Jewish family, 3 children, shot dead by Arabs who broke into their home in Safed[14]
NA	November 9, 1937	Arabs	5	5 Jewish Keren Kayemet workers killed near Har Haruach by an Arab ambush. Ma'ale HaHamisha was named in their honor.[15]
N/A	November 14, 1937	Jewish militants (Irgun)	10	10 Arabs killed by Irgun units launching attacks around Jerusalem, ("Black Sunday")[16][17]
N/A	28 March 1938	Arabs	6	6 Jewish passengers killed by Arabs while traveling from Haifa to Safed.[18]
N/A	April 12, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	4	2 Arabs and 2 British policemen were killed by a bomb in a train in Haifa.[17]
N/A	May 24, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	3	3 Arabs were shot and killed in Haifa.[17]
N/A	June 26, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	7	7 Arabs were killed by a bomb in Jaffa.[17]
N/A	June (late), 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	?	Unknown number of Arabs killed by a bomb that was thrown into a crowded Arab market place in Jerusalem.[19]
N/A	July 5, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	7	7 Arabs were killed in several shooting attacks in Tel-Aviv.[17]
N/A	July 5, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	3	3 Arabs were killed by a bomb detonated in a bus in Jerusalem. Further Arab killed in another attack in Jerusalem[17]
N/A	July 6, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	23	18 Arabs and 5 Jews were killed by two simultaneous bombs in the Arab melon market in Haifa. More than 60 people were wounded.[17][20][21]
N/A	July 8, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	4	4 Arabs were killed by a bomb in Jerusalem.[17]
N/A	July 16, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	10	10 Arabs were killed by a bomb at a marketplace in Jerusalem.[17]
N/A	July 25, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	43	43 Arabs were killed by a bomb at a marketplace in Haifa.[17][22]
N/A	August 16, 1938	Arabs	3	A Jewish family was kidnapped by Arabs in Atlit. 3 killed.[23][24]
N/A	August 26, 1938	Jewish militants (Irgun)	24	24 Arabs were killed by a bomb at a marketplace in Jaffa.[17]
N/A	September 14, 1938	Arabs	3	3 Jews killed in a bomb attack and ambush on a private vehicle near Nir David then: Tel Amal)[25] Several attackers killed by Britons.
1938 Tiberias pogrom	October 2, 1938	Arabs	19	19 Jews were killed.[26]
N/A	February 27, 1939	Jewish militants (Irgun)	33	33 Arabs were killed in multiple attacks, incl. 24 by bomb in Arab market in Suk Quarter of Haifa and 4 by bomb in Arab vegetable market in Jerusalem.[27]
N/A	May 29, 1939	Jewish militants (Irgun)	5	5 Arabs were killed by a mine detonated at the Rex cinema in Jerusalem.[17]
N/A	May 29, 1939	Jewish militants (Irgun)	5	5 Arabs were shot and killed during a raid on the village of Biyar 'Adas.[17]
N/A	June 2, 1939	Jewish militants (Irgun)	5	5 Arabs were killed by a bomb at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.[17][28]
N/A	June 16, 1939	Jewish Militants (Irgun)	6	6 Arabs were killed in several attacks in Jerusalem.[17]
N/A	June 19, 1939	Jewish Militants (Irgun)	20	20 Arabs were killed by explosives mounted on a donkey at a marketplace in Haifa.[17][29]
N/A	June 29, 1939	Jewish Militants (Irgun)	13	13 Arabs were killed in several shooting attacks around Jaffa during a one-hour period.[17][30]
N/A	July 20, 1939	Jewish Militants (Irgun)	6	6 Arabs were killed in several attacks in Tel-Aviv.[17]
N/A	July 20, 1939	Jewish Militants (Irgun)	3	3 Arabs were killed in Rehovot.[17]
NA	June 11, 1941	Italian Air Force	20	20 Jews killed in Tel Aviv during Italian air raid [31]
N/A	September 27, 1944	Jewish militants (Irgun)	0	Unknown number of casualties, around 150 Irgun members attacked four British police stations[32]
N/A	November 1, 1945	Jewish militants (Irgun)	0	5 locomotives destroyed in Lydda station. Two staff, one soldier and one policeman killed.[33]
N/A	December 27, 1945	Jewish militants (Irgun)	7	3 British policemen and 4 Basuto soldiers killed during the bombing of British CID headquarters in Jerusalem; 1 British soldier killed during attack of British army camp in north Tel Aviv[34][35]
King David Hotel bombing	July 22, 1946	Jewish militants (Irgun)	91	91 killed, including 41 Arabs, 28 Britons, and 17 Jews; 40-45 wounded[36][37]
N/A	January 12, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	4	4 killed in bombing of British headquarters.[38]
N/A	March 1, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	17	17 British officers killed, during raid and explosion.[39]
N/A	September 26, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	4	4 British policemen killed in Irgun bank robbery.[38]
N/A	September 29, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	13	13 killed, 53 wounded in attack on British police station.[38]
1947 Jerusalem riots	December 2, 1947	Arabs	14	8 Jews Reported Killed[40][41]
al-Tira	December 12, 1947	Jewish militants	13	13 Arabs killed, 10 wounded[42][43]
N/A	December 12, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	20	20 killed, 5 wounded by barrel bomb at Damascus Gate.[44]
N/A	December 13, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	16	16 Arabs killed; 67 Arabs wounded from bombings in Jerusalem and Jaffa; Irgun also burns down 100 Arab homes in Jaffa[1]
N/A (See Beit Nabala)	December 14, 1947	Arab Legion	13	13 Jews killed (some sources say 14); 9 Jews, 2 Britons, 1 Arab wounded in attack on military convoy near Lydda[1]
N/A	December 16, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	10	10 killed by bomb at Noga Cinema in Jaffa.[45]
al-Khisas massacre	December 18, 1947	Jewish militants (Haganah)	10	10 Arabs killed[1]
N/A	December 24, 1947	Arab snipers, Jewish militants	8	4 Jews killed in Haifa by snipers, 4 Arabs killed in reprisals[1]
N/A	December 26, 1947	Arab militants	7	7 Jews killed while driving in convoy to Jerusalem[1]
N/A	December 28, 1947	Arab Snipers, Jewish militants	5	5 Jews killed in Bab el Wad by snipers, 5 Arabs killed in reprisals[1]
N/A	December 29, 1947	Arab militants, Jewish militants (Irgun)	4	4 Jews killed in Tel Aviv from mortar and sniper fire, 13 Arabs killed in Jerusalem in Irgun bombing[1][46]
Bomb thrown on Damascus Gate Café in Jerusalem	December 29, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun)	13	11 Arabs, 2 Britons killed[1][47] Uri Milstein reported 15 casualties from the bombing in the Palestine Post.[48]
Haifa Oil Refinery massacre	December 30, 1947	Jewish militants (Irgun), Arabs	39	Arabs beat 39 Jews to death and injured 49 after an Irgun bombing which killed 6[1]
Balad al-Shaykh massacre	January 1, 1948	Jewish militants (Palmach)	50	17–70 Arabs killed in Haifa[1]
N/A	January 3, 1948	Arab militants	4	4 Jews killed in Haifa[1]
N/A	January 3, 1948	Arab militants	4	3 Jews, 1 Briton killed in Jerusalem[1]
Bombing of Arab National Committee HQ	January 4, 1948	Jewish militants (Stern Gang)	14	14 Arabs killed; 100 Arabs wounded[47]
Semiramis Hotel bombing	January 5, 1948	Jewish militants (Haganah)	20	20 Arabs killed in Jerusalem[49]
N/A	January 5, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	14	14 Arabs killed and 19 injured by truck bomb outside the 3-storey 'Serrani', Jaffa's built Ottoman Town Hall[50]
N/A	January 5, 1948	Arabs, Jews	4	4 Arabs killed after attacking Jewish quarter in Safed[1]
Jaffa Gate bombing in Jerusalem	January 7, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	18	15–20 Arabs killed[1][51]
N/A	January 9, 1948	Arab militants	35	35 Jews killed near Kfar Etzion[1]
N/A	January 10, 1948	Arab militants	11	11 Jews killed, 1 decapitated near Yavne[1]
N/A	January 14, 1948	Arab militants	7	7 Jews, 2 Britons killed in Haifa[1]
The 35 Heroes of Gush Etzion (Hebrew: ל"ה גיבורי גוש עציון)	January 15, 1948	Arab militants	35	35 Jewish members of a relief force to Gush Etzion killed near Hebron by Arab militants.[52]
N/A	January 20, 1948	Arab militants	8	8 Jews killed in Yehiam[1]
N/A	January 22, 1948	Arab militants	7	7 Jews killed near Yazur[1]
N/A	January 25, 1948	Arab militants	10	10 Jews killed[1]
N/A	January 27, 1948	British soldiers	4	4 Arabs killed in Gaza[1]
N/A	February 3, 1948	Arab militants	6	6 Jews killed while riding buses in Haifa[1]
N/A	February 7, 1948	Arabs, Jews	6	3 Arabs, 3 Jews killed in Haifa[1]
N/A	February 8, 1948	Arabs	6	6 Jews killed in Jerusalem[1]
N/A	February 8, 1948	Arab militants	3	3 Jews killed in Tel Aviv[1]
N/A	February 10, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	7	7 Arabs killed near Ras el Ain after selling cows in Tel Aviv[53]
N/A	February 12, 1948	Arabs	4	4 Jews killed in Jerusalem[1]
N/A	February 15, 1948	Arab militants, Jewish militants	8	5 Arabs, 3 Jews killed[1]
Sa'sa' village ambush in the Safad district	February 14, 1948	Jewish militants (Palmach)	11	11 Arabs killed[54]
N/A	February 17, 1948	Arab militants, Jewish militants	8	5 Arabs, 3 Jews killed[1]
N/A	February 17, 1948	Arab militants	57	57 Arabs killed while taking part in attack on Jewish settlements Tirat Tzvi, Sde Eliahu, Ein HaNatziv[1]
Ramla vegetable market bombing	February 18, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	12	12 killed, 43 wounded[55]
N/A	February 19, 1948	Arab militants	4	4 Jews killed while riding buses in Haifa[1]
N/A	February 21, 1948	Jewish militants	4	4 Arabs killed in Haifa[1]
Ben Yehuda Street bombing	February 22, 1948	Arab militants, British deserters	55	55 Jews killed[1]
N/A	February 25, 1948	Arab militants	3	3 Jews killed on road between Ramle and Tel Aviv[1]
N/A	February 28, 1948	Arab militants	7	6 Arabs, 1 Jew killed during attack on Jewish village Kfar Sava[1]
N/A	February 18, 1948	Arab militants	4	4 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish settlement Mitzpe[1]
Rehovot Train bombing	March 1, 1948	Jewish militants	28	28 Britons killed[1]
Bevingrad Officers Club bombing	March 1, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	20	20 Britons killed; 30 Britons wounded[2]
N/A	March 1, 1948	Arab militants	4	4 Jews killed on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road[1]
N/A	March 2, 1948	Arab militants	9	6 Arabs, 3 Jews killed during Arab attack on Tel-Aviv Jerusalem road[1]
N/A	March 4, 1948	Arab militants	16	16 Jews killed on Jerusalem-Atarot road[1]
N/A	March 9, 1948	Arab militants	3	3 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish settlement Yehiam[1]
N/A	March 11, 1948	Jews, Arabs	5	4 Arabs, 1 Jew killed in Tiberias[1]
Jewish Agency bombing	March 11, 1948	Arab militants	13	13 Jews killed[1]
N/A	March 14, 1948	Arab militants	7	7 Jews killed near Faluja[1]
N/A	March 14, 1948	Jews, Arabs	5	4 Arabs, 1 Jew killed in Tiberias[1]
N/A	March 18, 1948	Arab militants	9	5 Britons, 4 Jews killed in convoy near Acre[1]
N/A	March 20, 1948	Arabs	7	7 Jews killed at Ein Harod[1]
N/A	March 21, 1948	Arabs	6	6 Jews killed on Rosh Pinna-Safed road[1]
N/A	March 22, 1948	Arab militants	24	4 Jews, 20 Arabs during attack on Jewish settlement Nitzanim[1]
N/A	March 24, 1948	Jewish militants	36	36 Arabs killed near Tulkarem[1]
N/A	March 26, 1948	Arab militants	8	6 Arabs, 2 Jews killed in attack on Jewish convoy near Gaza[1]
N/A	March 28, 1948	Arab militants	6	6 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish convoy near Rehovot[1]
N/A	March 28, 1948	Arab militants	6	6 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish convoy near Safed[1]
Cairo-Haifa train bombing	March 31, 1948	Jewish militants (Lehi)	40	40 Arabs killed; 60 Arabs wounded[1]
Massacre in an orange grove in Lydda	April 1, 1948	Jewish militias	11	11 Arab laborers killed[56]
Deir Yassin massacre	April 9, 1948	Jewish militants (Irgun)	100-250	100-254 Arabs killed[57][58][59]
Hadassah medical convoy massacre	April 13, 1948	Arab militants	78	78 Jews (nurses, doctors, and patients) killed[60][61]
Cairo-Haifa Train bombing	April 23, 1948	Jewish militants (Lehi)	8	8 Britons killed; 27 Britons wounded[2]
Sorona Police Station bombing	April 25, 1948	Jewish militants (Lehi)	4	4 Britons killed[2]
Ein al Zeitun massacre	May 3, 1948	Jewish militants (Palmach)	55	37–70 Arab prisoners
Kfar Etzion massacre	May 13, 1948	Arab militants and Arab Legion	140	127–157 Jews killed[1]
Abu Shusha	May 14, 1948	Israeli	52	52

See also

• Killings and massacres during the 1948 Palestine War
• List of massacres in Israel
• List of villages depopulated during the Arab-Israeli conflict
• List of Irgun attacks during the 1930s
• List of Palestinian suicide attacks
• Palestinian political violence

References

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