Deir Yassin refers to a village located near Jerusalem in Mandatory Palestine. The events that occurred in Deir Yassin in April 1948 are deeply controversial and are often cited as one of the most significant incidents during the Arab-Israeli conflict surrounding the creation of the State of Israel.
On April 9, 1948, during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, Deir Yassin was attacked by Jewish paramilitary groups, including the Irgun and Lehi (also known as the Stern Gang). The attack resulted in the deaths of many Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and elderly individuals. The exact number of casualties is disputed, with estimates ranging from over 100 to several hundred.
The events at Deir Yassin have been highly contentious, with Palestinians and their supporters characterizing it as a massacre, while some Israeli historians argue that the number of casualties has been exaggerated and that the incident occurred within the context of a war.
Regardless of the exact number of casualties, the events at Deir Yassin had a significant impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict, leading to fear and panic among Palestinian communities and contributing to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes during the 1948 war, an event known as the Palestinian exodus or Nakba (catastrophe). Deir Yassin has since become a symbol of the suffering and displacement experienced by Palestinians during the conflict.
