Dayr Yasin Massacre

The Deir Yassin Massacre occurred on 9 April 1948 in the village of Deir Yassin, located in the West Jerusalem region of Palestine. This event took place during a period of escalating Jewish-Arab conflict in Palestine, as the British Mandate was drawing to a close and prior to the declaration of the State of Israel. Event

After the Second World World War, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased; during this time, various armed groups emerged under the influence of the Zionist movement. Britain, having supported the establishment of a Jewish national homeland under the 1917 Balfour Declaration, eventually decided to withdraw from Palestine following the 1936–1939 Arab uprisings and intensifying violence. The United Nations’ 181st Resolution, adopted on 29 November 1947, proposed the partition of Palestinian territory into separate Jewish and Arab states. While the Jewish side accepted the plan, it was rejected by the Arab side.

In the period following this decision, intense armed clashes erupted between Jewish militias and Arab forces. In particular, attacks by Jewish armed groups on Palestinian villages contributed to the escalation of hostilities. In this context, the village of Deir Yassin, located in the place area near close and strategic to Jerusalem, became a target in these conflicts.