Why did more than 600,000 Arab refugees leave their homes during the 1948 war?

The displacement of more than 600,000 Arab refugees during the 1948 war, known in the Arab world as the Nakba, resulted from the violent conflict surrounding the birth of Israel.

The mass exodus was driven by several factors:

• Forced Displacement: Many Arabs were driven from their homes by Zionist military forces prior to May 15, 1948, or by the Israeli army after that date.1
• Fear of Violence: A significant portion of the population fled due to the pervasive fear of violence from these forces. This panic was exacerbated by events such as the attack on the village of Deir Yassin, where reports of a massacre spread widely.12
• Disintegration of Life: As the conflict escalated, Arab life in coastal cities like Jaffa and Haifa disintegrated, leading many urban notables and merchants to flee to neighboring countries, while others sought refuge in all-Arab towns or camps.1

The displacement fundamentally altered the region's demographics, with the majority of the prewar Arab population eventually residing in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.1