• Date: April 9, 1948.
• Attackers: Zionist terrorist gangs “Irgun” and “Stern,” operating under the orders of Haganah commander David Shaltiel.
• Casualty count: about 360 people killed, with atrocities committed against women, children, and the elderly.
In the aftermath of the Deir Yassin Massacre: Heart-wrenching images of orphans left in the wake of tragedy, symbolizing resilience amidst the devastating aftermath
Description of the event: In 1948, a tragic event called the Deir Yassin Massacre occurred. This was an attack on the Palestinian Arab village of Deir Yassin, near Jerusalem. The village had around 750 people and 144 houses, with separate schools for girls and boys. Zionist terrorist gangs, known as the “Irgun” (active between 1931 and 1948) and “Stern” (founded in 1940), carried out the attack following the orders of Haganah commander David Shaltiel as part of a plan. Approximately 120 men from these gangs attacked the village, causing destruction, killing its residents, and taking control. After the initial attack, the members of the Zionist gangs celebrated by committing more atrocities against innocent women, children, and older people in the village. They even paraded with the bodies of the victims and heartlessly threw them into a village well. The total number of people who lost their lives in the Deir Yassin Massacre was about 360, making the impact of Zionist violence during that time extremely distressing.
Reference:
[1] Al-Khaldi, Walid. “Deir Yassin, Friday 9/4/1948.” Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1999.
[2] Kana’aneh, Sharif and Nahed Zitawi. “The Palestinian Destroyed Villages, Number ‘4’, Deir Yassin.” Birzeit: Birzeit University, Center for Documentation and Research, 1987.
[3] De Reynier, Jacques. “Deir Yasin, April 10, 1948.” In Walid Khalidi, ed., From Haven to Conquest: Readings in Zionism and the Palestine Problem until 1948. Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1971.
[4] Pa’il, Meir [Interview with]. “Jewish Eye-Witness.” In Daniel McGowan and Mark Ellis, ed., Remembering Deir Yassin: The Future of Israel and Palestine. New York: Olive Branch Press, 1998.
[5] Palumbo, Michael. The Palestinian Catastrophe: The 1948 Expulsion of a People from Their Homeland. London: Faber & Faber, 1987.
[6] Muslih, Nour al-Din. “Expelling the Palestinians: The Concept of ‘Transfer’ in Zionist Thought and Planning, 1882 – 1948.” Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1992.
