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 principal instigators of the violence. Where culpability is disputed or ambiguous, the sources cited support the chosen designation.
Individual massacres during the 1936–1939 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 and several hundred Britons were killed.
| Name | data-sort-type="date" | Date | Responsible party | Fatalities | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Tel Hai | March 1, 1920 | Arabs | 13 | 8 Jews,[1] 5 Arabs killed Armed Arabs were looking for French soldiers, and Jews mounted armed resistance. | |
| Nebi Musa riots | April 4–7, 1920 | Arabs | 9 | 5 Jews, 4 Arabs killed; 216 Jews, 18 Arabs, 7 Britons wounded Started by inflammatory language at an Arab rally. Origin of violence uncertain, but a witness reported stone throwing by Arabs. | |
| Jaffa riots | May 1–7, 1921 | Arabs | 95 | 48 Arabs, 47 Jews killed; 140 Jews, 73 Arabs wounded. Began as a fight between two Jewish groups. Arabs joined in because they thought they were being attacked. | |
| Palestine riots of 1929 | August 23–29, 1929 | Arabs | 249 | 133 Jews, 116 Arabs killed; 339 Jews, 232 Arabs wounded;[2] [3] includes the Hebron massacre (67 Jews killed; 58 Jews wounded and a massacre in Safed (18–20 Jews killed; 80 Jews wounded) Mostly violence by Arabs against Jews; most Arabs killed by Mandate police. Thought triggered by a recent Jewish demonstration. | |
| Black Hand killings at Kibbutz Yagur[4] | April 11, 1931 | Syrian/Palestinian armed group | 3 | 3 jews at Kibbutz Yagur | |
| 1931-1932 attacks of the Black Hand | 1931-1932 | Syrian/Palestinian armed group | 6 | 6 Jews | |
| 1933 Palestine riots in Jaffa [5] | October 27, 1933 | British police, Arab rioters | 16 | 1 Arab policeman, 15 Arab demonstrators shot by British forces, 1 Arab child hit by a stray bullet. | |
| 1933 Palestine riots in Haifa | October 27–28, 1933 | British police | 4 | 4 Palestinian rioters killed, 1 policeman stabbed, 3 Palestinian rioters wounded, 5 Jewish civilians injured by rioters, 4 of them seriously. | |
| Jaffa riots (April 1936) | 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[6] [7] [8] | |
| Arab General Strike | April 20 – October 12, 1936 | Arabs, British authorities | 314 | 197 Arabs killed and 823 wounded, 80 Jews killed and 300 wounded, 37 military and police killed and 95 wounded.[9] | |
| 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[10] | |
| 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.[11] | |
| N/A | March 28, 1938 | Arabs | 6 | 6 Jewish passengers killed by Arabs while traveling from Haifa to Safed. | |
| N/A | August 16, 1938 | Arabs | 3 | A Jewish family was kidnapped by Arabs in Atlit. 3 killed.[12] [13] | |
| 1938 Tiberias pogrom | October 2, 1938 | Arabs | 19 | 19 Jews were killed.[14] | |
| N/A | February 27, 1939 | Jewish militants | 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.[15] | |
| N/A | June 2, 1939 | Jewish militants | 5 | 5 Arabs were killed by a bomb at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.[16] [17] | |
| N/A | June 19, 1939 | Jewish Militants | 20 | 20 Arabs were killed by explosives mounted on a donkey at a marketplace in Haifa.[18] | |
| Italian Bombing of Tel Aviv | September 9, 1940 |  Italian Air Force | 137 | 130 Jews and 7 Arabs killed in a bombing run.[19] | |
| Italian Bombing of Tel Aviv | June 11, 1941 | Italian Air Force | 20 | 20 Jews killed in Tel Aviv during Italian air raid [20] | |
| N/A | November 1, 1945 | Jewish militants | 4 | 5 locomotives destroyed in Lydda station. Two staff, one soldier and one policeman killed. One of the bombers, Yehiel Dresner, was later executed for other crimes.[21] | |
| King David Hotel bombing | July 22, 1946 | Jewish militants | 91 | 91 killed, including 41 Arabs, 28 Britons, and 17 Jews; 40-45 wounded[22] [23] | |
| Fajja bus attacks | November 30, 1947 | Arab militants | 7 | 7 Jews killed in two incidents by gunfire[24] | |
| 1947 Jerusalem riots | December 2, 1947 | Arabs | 14 | 8 Jews Reported Killed[25] [26] | |
| al-Tira | December 12, 1947 | Jewish militants | 13 | 13 Arabs killed, 10 wounded[27] [28] | |
| N/A | December 12, 1947 | Jewish militants | 20 | 20 killed, 5 wounded by barrel bomb at Damascus Gate.[29] | |
| N/A | December 13, 1947 | Jewish militants | 16 | 16 Arabs killed; 67 Arabs wounded from bombings in Jerusalem and Jaffa; Irgun also burns down 100 Arab homes in Jaffa | |
| N/A | December 16, 1947 | Jewish militants | 10 | 10 killed by bomb at Noga Cinema in Jaffa.[30] | |
| al-Khisas massacre | December 18, 1947 | Jewish militants | 10 | 10 Arabs killed | |
| N/A | December 24, 1947 | Arab snipers | 8 | 4 Jews killed in Haifa by snipers, 4 Arabs killed in reprisals | |
| N/A | December 26, 1947 | Arab militants | 7 | 7 Jews killed while driving in convoy to Jerusalem | |
| N/A | December 28, 1947 | Arab Snipers | 10 | 5 Jews killed in Bab el Wad by snipers, 5 Arabs killed in reprisals | |
| N/A | December 29, 1947 | Arab militants | 17 | 4 Jews killed in Tel Aviv from mortar and sniper fire, 13 Arabs killed in Jerusalem in Irgun bombing[31] | |
| Bomb thrown on Damascus Gate Café in Jerusalem | December 29, 1947 | Jewish militants | 13 | 11 Arabs, 2 Britons killed[32] Uri Milstein reported 15 casualties from the bombing in the Palestine Post.[33] | |
| Haifa Oil Refinery massacre | December 30, 1947 | Arabs | 39 | Arabs beat 39 Jews to death and injured 49 after an Irgun bombing which killed 6 | |
| Balad al-Shaykh massacre | January 1, 1948 | Jewish militants | 50 | 17–70 Arabs killed in Haifa | |
| N/A | January 3, 1948 | Arab militants | 4 | 3 Jews, 1 Briton killed in Jerusalem | |
| Bombing of Arab National Committee HQ | January 4, 1948 | Jewish militants | 14 | 14 Arabs killed; 100 Arabs wounded | |
| Semiramis Hotel bombing | January 5, 1948 | Jewish militants | 20 | 20 Arabs killed in Jerusalem[34] | |
| N/A | January 5, 1948 | Jewish militants | 14 | 14 Arabs killed and 19 injured by truck bomb outside the 3-storey 'Serrani', Jaffa's built Ottoman Town Hall[35] | |
| N/A | January 5, 1948 | Arabs, Jews | 4 | 4 Arabs killed after attacking Jewish quarter in Safed | |
| Jaffa Gate bombing in Jerusalem | January 7, 1948 | Jewish militants | 18 | 15–20 Arabs killed[36] | |
| N/A | January 10, 1948 | Arab militants | 11 | 11 Jews killed, 1 decapitated near Yavne | |
| N/A | January 14, 1948 | Arab militants | 7 | 7 Jews, 2 Britons killed in Haifa | |
| Convoy of 35 | January 15, 1948 | Arab militants | 35 | 35 Jewish militants going to resupply blockaded kibbutzim at Gush Etzion attacked near Hebron by Arab militants.[37] It is known that the Jewish militants fought back, but there is little of Arab casualties. | |
| N/A | January 20, 1948 | Arab militants | 8 | 8 Jews killed in Yehiam | |
| N/A | January 22, 1948 | Arab militants | 7 | 7 Jews killed near Yazur | |
| N/A | January 25, 1948 | Arab militants | 10 | 10 Jews killed | |
| N/A | January 27, 1948 | British soldiers | 4 | 4 Arabs killed in Gaza | |
| N/A | February 3, 1948 | Arab militants | 6 | 6 Jews killed while riding buses in Haifa | |
| N/A | February 7, 1948 | Arabs, Jews | 6 | 3 Arabs, 3 Jews killed in Haifa | |
| N/A | February 8, 1948 | Arabs | 6 | 6 Jews killed in Jerusalem | |
| N/A | February 8, 1948 | Arab militants | 3 | 3 Jews killed in Tel Aviv | |
| N/A | February 10, 1948 | Jewish militants | 7 | 7 Arabs killed near Ras el Ain after selling cows in Tel Aviv[38] | |
| N/A | February 12, 1948 | Arabs | 4 | 4 Jews killed in Jerusalem | |
| N/A | February 15, 1948 | Arab militants, Jewish militants | 8 | 5 Arabs, 3 Jews killed | |
| Sa'sa' village ambush in the Safad district | February 14, 1948 | Jewish militants | 11-60 | Reports vary from 11 Arabs killed,[39] to 60 Arabs killed.[40] Reported to be revenge for Convoy of 35. | |
| N/A | February 17, 1948 | Arab militants, Jewish militants | 8 | 5 Arabs, 3 Jews killed | |
| N/A | February 17, 1948 | Jewish settlers | 57 | 57 Arabs killed while taking part in attack on Jewish settlements Tirat Tzvi, Sde Eliahu, Ein HaNatziv | |
| Ramla vegetable market bombing | February 18, 1948 | Jewish militants | 12 | 12 killed, 43 wounded[41] | |
| N/A | February 19, 1948 | Arab militants | 4 | 4 Jews killed while riding buses in Haifa | |
| N/A | February 21, 1948 | Jewish militants | 4 | 4 Arabs killed in Haifa | |
| Ben Yehuda Street bombing | February 22, 1948 | Arab militants, British deserters | 55 | 55 Jews killed | |
| N/A | February 25, 1948 | Arab militants | 3 | 3 Jews killed on road between Ramle and Tel Aviv | |
| N/A | February 28, 1948 | Arab militants | 7 | 6 Arabs, 1 Jew killed during attack on Jewish village Kfar Sava | |
| N/A | February 18, 1948 | Arab militants | 4 | 4 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish settlement Mitzpe | |
| Rehovot Train bombing | March 1, 1948 | Jewish militants | 28 | 28 Britons killed | |
| Bevingrad Officers Club bombing | March 1, 1948 | Jewish militants | 20 | 20 Britons killed; 30 Britons wounded[42] | |
| N/A | March 1, 1948 | Arab militants | 4 | 4 Jews killed on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road | |
| N/A | March 2, 1948 | Arab militants | 13 | 10 Arabs, 3 Jews killed during Arab attack on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road | |
| N/A | March 3, 1948 | Jewish militants | 11 | Car bombing in Haifa killed 11 Arabs[43] | |
| N/A | March 4, 1948 | Arab militants | 16 | 16 Jews killed on Jerusalem-Atarot road | |
| N/A | March 9, 1948 | Arab militants | 3 | 3 Arabs killed while attacking a Jewish settlement Yehiam | |
| N/A | March 11, 1948 | Jews, Arabs | 5 | 4 Arabs, 1 Jew killed in Tiberias | |
| Jewish Agency bombing | March 11, 1948 | Arab militants | 13 | 13 Jews killed | |
| N/A | March 14, 1948 | Arab militants | 7 | 7 Jews killed near Faluja | |
| N/A | March 14, 1948 | Jews, Arabs | 5 | 4 Arabs, 1 Jew killed in Tiberias | |
| N/A | March 18, 1948 | Arab militants | 9 | 5 Britons, 4 Jews killed in convoy near Acre | |
| N/A | March 20, 1948 | Arabs | 7 | 7 Jews killed at Ein Harod | |
| N/A | March 21, 1948 | Arabs | 6 | 6 Jews killed on Rosh Pinna-Safed road | |
| N/A | March 22, 1948 | Arab militants | 24 | 4 Jews, 20 Arabs during attack on Jewish settlement Nitzanim | |
| N/A | March 24, 1948 | Jewish militants | 36 | 36 Arabs killed near Tulkarem | |
| N/A | March 26, 1948 | Arab militants | 8 | 6 Arabs, 2 Jews killed in attack on Jewish convoy near Gaza | |
| N/A | March 28, 1948 | Arab militants | 6 | 6 Arabs killed while participating in attack on Jewish convoy near Rehovot | |
| N/A | March 30, 1948 | Arab militants | 10 | 8 Jews and 2 British killed while fleeing from Jaffa | |
| Cairo-Haifa train bombing | March 31, 1948 | Jewish militants | 40 | 40 Arabs killed; 60 Arabs wounded | |
| Massacre in an orange grove in Lydda | April 1, 1948 | Jewish militias | 11 | 11 Arab laborers killed[44] | |
| NA | April 5, 1948 | Jewish militants | 10 | 10 Iraqis killed by Jewish militants in Lydda. | |
| Deir Yassin massacre | April 9, 1948 | Jewish militants | 107 | 100-254 Arabs killed[45] [46] [47] | |
| Hadassah medical convoy massacre | April 13, 1948 | Arab militants | 79 | 78 Jews (nurses, doctors, and patients) and one British soldier killed[48] [49] | |
| Ein al Zeitun massacre | May 3, 1948 | Jewish militants | 55 | 37–70 Arab prisoners | |
| Kfar Etzion massacre | May 13, 1948 | Arab militants and Arab Legion | 129 | 127–157 Jews killed | |
| Abu Shusha massacre | May 13–14, 1948 |  Israel | 60–70+ | 60–70 Arabs killed | |
