Palestine History Timeline and Map

    This timeline maps 41 documented events in Palestinian history, from British Mandate–era attacks in the 1930s through the 1948 Nakba, the 1967 occupation and the war in Gaza since October 2023. Each event shows where it happened, what was recorded, and the sources we used.

    Map Layers

    22–23 May 1948

    Tantura Massacre

    On May 22-23, 1948, Israeli forces massacred residents of the coastal village of Tantura. Survivors reported mass executions and mass graves. The massacre was covered up for decades until Israeli researchers uncovered testimonies.

    Killed
    200
    Displaced
    1.5K

    Sources

    How we source figures. Figures for ongoing events: Last updated 26 September 2026

    Every event on the map, in order. Select an event title to show it on the map.

    From the Balfour Declaration to the Arab Revolt, 1917–1939

    1. British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour writes to Lord Rothschild that the British government "view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". The letter refers to the Arab majority only as "existing non-Jewish communities" and promises them civil and religious rights, not political ones. British troops took Jerusalem the following month, and Britain went on to rule Palestine under a League of Nations mandate until 1948.

      Issued by
      British government
      Made public
      9 November 1917

      Sources: Balfour Declaration, historical text (Palestinian Journeys / PalQuest); Encyclopaedia Britannica: Balfour Declaration

    2. During the Arab Revolt, Zionist paramilitary group Irgun detonated a bomb in a crowded marketplace in Haifa, killing Palestinian civilians. This marked the beginning of a pattern of targeted attacks on civilian populations.

      Killed
      10
      Wounded
      50

      Sources: Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs

    3. Irgun bombed the old city of Jerusalem during the Arab Revolt, killing Palestinian civilians in the crowded marketplace near Damascus Gate.

      Killed
      8

      Sources: Institute for Palestine Studies

    4. Irgun carried out a series of bombings in Haifa's Arab markets, including the devastating bombing of the Haifa vegetable market that killed dozens of Palestinian civilians.

      Killed
      74
      Wounded
      129

      Sources: Benny Morris, 'Righteous Victims'

    5. Continued Irgun bombings targeted the Arab population of Haifa throughout 1939, part of a sustained campaign of terror against Palestinian civilians during the Arab Revolt period.

      Killed
      27
      Wounded
      39

      Sources: Israeli State Archives

    The Nakba, 1947–1949

    1. The UN General Assembly votes 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions, to partition Mandate Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with Jerusalem under international administration. The plan gave the proposed Jewish state about 55% of the land at a time when Jews made up roughly a third of the population. Palestinian Arab leaders and the Arab states rejected it, and fighting broke out within days.

      Votes for
      33
      Votes against
      13
      Abstentions
      10
      Land allotted to the Jewish state
      About 55% of the land

      Sources: UN General Assembly Resolution 181 (II) (UNISPAL); PalQuest: UN Partition Plan, 29 November 1947

    2. On 18 December 1947, a Palmach unit raided the village of al-Khisas in the Upper Galilee, blowing up houses and killing between 10 and 15 villagers, five of them children. The Haganah command approved the raid as a reprisal for the killing of a Jewish man near the village. Many residents fled, and violence spread through what had been a quiet part of the Galilee.

      Killed
      10–15
      Children killed
      5

      Sources: Benny Morris, 'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited'; Wikipedia: Al-Khisas raid (summary with citations); Ilan Pappé, 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine'

    3. Zionist forces attacked the village of Abbasiya (modern day Yehud) near Jaffa, killing civilians and forcing the population to flee. The village was subsequently destroyed.

      Killed
      70
      Displaced
      5.6K

      Sources: Walid Khalidi, 'All That Remains'

    6. On 30 December 1947, Irgun members threw bombs into a crowd of Arab day labourers waiting outside the gate of the British-owned Haifa oil refinery, killing 6 and wounding 42. Arab workers inside the refinery then turned on their Jewish co-workers and killed 39 of them (some accounts give 41). The Haganah retaliated the next night at Balad al-Sheikh.

      Arab workers killed
      6
      Wounded
      42
      Jewish workers killed
      39 (some accounts: 41)

      Sources: PalQuest: Balad al-Shaykh (refinery bombing and reprisal); Wikipedia: Haifa Oil Refinery massacre (summary with citations); Benny Morris, 'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited'

    7. On the night of 31 December 1947, a Palmach force of about 170 men attacked Balad al-Sheikh and neighbouring Hawassa, east of Haifa, in reprisal for the refinery killings. Between 60 and 70 villagers, including women and children, were killed and dozens of houses were blown up. The village was emptied during the Nakba and never rebuilt.

      Killed
      60–70
      Houses destroyed
      Several dozen

      Sources: PalQuest: Balad al-Shaykh; Walid Khalidi, 'All That Remains'; Wikipedia: Balad al-Shaykh massacre (summary with citations)

    8. On the night of 5 January 1948, the Haganah blew up the Semiramis Hotel, a family-run Christian hotel in Jerusalem's Qatamon neighbourhood, acting on mistaken intelligence that it housed a local Arab militia headquarters. The east wing collapsed. The dead included seven members of the Aboussouan family and the Spanish vice-consul, Manuel Allendesalazar. British officials called it the wholesale murder of innocent people. It was one of a series of bombings in Jerusalem's Arab neighbourhoods during the winter of 1947–48.

      Killed
      18–26 (estimates vary)

      Sources: Institute for Palestine Studies: 'Qatamon, 1948: The Fall of a Neighborhood'; Wikipedia: Semiramis Hotel bombing (summary with citations)

    10. Over 750,000 Palestinians are expelled or flee from their homes during the creation of Israel. 531 villages are destroyed or depopulated. This catastrophe marks the beginning of the Palestinian refugee crisis that continues today.

      Displaced
      750.0K
      Villages destroyed or depopulated
      531
      Land lost
      78%
      Refugees
      Today: 5.9 million registered

      Sources: Benny Morris, 'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited'; UN Resolution 194; Ilan Pappé, 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine'

    11. The siege and bombardment of Jaffa by Irgun forces caused widespread civilian casualties. The historic port city's population of 70,000 was reduced to just 4,000 as residents fled the violence.

      Killed
      98
      Displaced
      66.0K

      Sources: Ilan Pappé, 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine'

    12. On May 22-23, 1948, Israeli forces massacred residents of the coastal village of Tantura. Survivors reported mass executions and mass graves. The massacre was covered up for decades until Israeli researchers uncovered testimonies.

      Killed
      200
      Displaced
      1.5K

      Sources: Tantura Documentary (2022); Teddy Katz Research

    After the Nakba, 1950–1966

    1. Israeli forces conducted raids on Palestinian areas of Jerusalem, killing civilians in what was characterized as retaliation operations during a period of heightened border tensions.

      Killed
      12

      Sources: UN Security Council Records

    2. During the Suez Crisis, Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip and committed mass killings in Khan Yunis and the nearby refugee camp. UN observers documented executions of hundreds of Palestinian civilians and refugees.

      Killed
      275
      Killed in refugee camp
      140

      Sources: UN General Assembly Records; Joe Sacco, 'Footnotes in Gaza'

    Occupation and the First Intifada, 1967–1992

    1. Israel captures the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights. Military occupation of Palestinian territories begins, lasting to this day. UN Security Council calls for withdrawal.

      Displaced
      300.0K
      Land under occupation
      100% of historic Palestine
      Settlements
      First settlements built

      Sources: UN Resolution 242; Israeli State Archives; B'Tselem: The Occupation

    2. During and after the Six-Day War, Israeli forces demolished the historic Moroccan Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, forcibly displacing its residents. Multiple civilians were killed during the capture and 'cleansing' of East Jerusalem.

      Killed
      20
      Displaced
      650
      Homes destroyed
      135

      Sources: UN OCHA; Institute for Palestine Studies

    3. Between September 16-18, 1982, Lebanese Phalangist militias, with Israeli forces surrounding the camps and providing illumination, massacred Palestinian refugees in the Sabra neighborhood and Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. No full count exists. Estimates run from 460 (Lebanese army prosecutor) and 700–800 (Israeli military intelligence, cited by Israel's Kahan Commission) to more than 2,000 (Palestinian Red Crescent) and about 3,500 (historian Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout, who named 1,300 victims). The UN General Assembly condemned it as an act of genocide.

      Killed: Lebanese army prosecutor estimate
      460
      Killed: Israeli military intelligence estimate
      700–800
      Killed: Palestinian Red Crescent estimate
      2,000+
      Killed: Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout estimate
      3,500 (1,300 named)
      Duration (days)
      3

      Sources: UN General Assembly Resolution 37/123; Kahan Commission Report; Wikipedia: Sabra and Shatila massacre, death toll estimates (with citations)

    4. Popular uprising against Israeli occupation begins in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp and spreads to the West Bank. Characterized by mass protests, strikes, boycotts, and civil disobedience.

      Killed
      2.0K
      Injured
      120.0K
      Detained
      120.0K

      Sources: B'Tselem Statistics; Human Rights Watch

    5. On October 8, 1990, Israeli police opened fire on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during protests against the Temple Mount Faithful group's plans. The massacre drew international condemnation.

      Killed
      22
      Wounded
      150

      Sources: UN Security Council Resolution 672; Human Rights Watch

    Oslo to the blockade, 1993–2007

    1. Israel and the PLO sign the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements at the White House, after secret talks mediated by Norway. The PLO recognised Israel and Israel recognised the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. A Palestinian Authority was to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza for a five-year interim period, while borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements were left to final-status talks that never produced an agreement.

      Interim period
      5 years
      Signatories
      Israel and the PLO

      Sources: US Office of the Historian: The Oslo Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process; Declaration of Principles, full text (Refworld)

    2. On February 25, 1994, Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Palestinian worshippers during Fajr prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, killing 29 and wounding 125. The massacre occurred during the holy month of Ramadan.

      Killed
      29
      Wounded
      125

      Sources: UN Security Council Resolution 904; B'Tselem

    3. The second uprising begins after Likud leader Ariel Sharon's visit to the Al-Aqsa compound on 28 September 2000, escorted by hundreds of Israeli police. Protests were met with live fire, and the uprising grew far more violent than the first, with Israeli military incursions and Palestinian suicide bombings. It is generally taken to have ended in early 2005. More than 4,300 people were killed, and Palestinian deaths outnumbered Israeli deaths by slightly more than 3 to 1.

      Total killed
      4,300+
      Palestinian to Israeli deaths
      Just over 3 to 1

      Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Second intifada; PalQuest: The Second Intifada, 2000–2005

    4. During Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002, Israeli forces besieged Jenin refugee camp for 11 days. Extensive destruction and civilian casualties occurred as the Israeli army used bulldozers, Apache helicopters, and ground troops.

      Killed
      52
      Homes destroyed
      450
      Displaced
      4.0K

      Sources: Human Rights Watch; UN Report on Jenin

    6. Israel removes its 21 Gaza settlements, about 8,000 to 9,000 settlers, and its ground forces from inside the Strip, completing the withdrawal on 12 September 2005. It kept control of Gaza's borders, airspace and coastline, which is why the UN and the ICJ continue to treat Gaza as occupied territory.

      Settlements removed
      21
      Settlers removed
      About 8,000–9,000
      Gaza population
      About 1.3 million

      Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Israel's disengagement from Gaza (2005); ICJ Advisory Opinion, 19 July 2024

    7. After Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007, Israel imposed a land, sea and air blockade, tightening restrictions that already existed. UN OCHA describes the result as a Strip virtually isolated from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory and the world. By 2022, 62% of Gaza's 2.1 million people needed food assistance and unemployment stood at 46.6%.

      Population (2022)
      2.1 million
      Needing food assistance (2022)
      62%
      Unemployment (2022)
      46.6%

      Sources: UN OCHA: The humanitarian impact of 15 years of the blockade (June 2022)

    Gaza wars, 2008–2021

    1. 22-day Israeli military assault on Gaza from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009. Extensive civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction documented by UN investigations including the Goldstone Report.

      Killed
      1.4K
      Children killed
      313
      Injured
      5.5K
      Homes destroyed
      4.0K

      Sources: UN Goldstone Report; B'Tselem

    2. 8-day Israeli military operation on Gaza beginning November 14, 2012. The offensive began with the assassination of Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari and escalated into widespread bombardment of civilian areas.

      Killed
      174
      Children killed
      33
      Injured
      1.4K
      Homes destroyed
      200

      Sources: UN OCHA; B'Tselem

    3. 51-day Israeli military operation from July 8 to August 26, 2014, resulting in massive civilian casualties, including the highest death toll of children in any recent conflict. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed.

      Killed
      2.3K
      Children killed
      556
      Displaced
      500.0K
      Homes destroyed
      18.0K

      Sources: UN OCHA; Amnesty International

    4. From March 2018 to December 2019, Israeli forces killed over 200 Palestinians during the Great March of Return protests along the Gaza border fence. Thousands were injured, including many shot with live ammunition while demonstrating peacefully.

      Killed
      223
      Children killed
      46
      Injured
      36.1K
      Journalists killed
      2
      Medics killed
      3

      Sources: UN Human Rights Council; B'Tselem

    5. 11-day Israeli assault on Gaza from May 10-21, 2021, following tensions over Sheikh Jarrah evictions and Al-Aqsa raids. High-rise residential buildings and infrastructure were targeted.

      Killed
      260
      Children killed
      67
      Injured
      2.0K
      Buildings destroyed
      1.8K

      Sources: UN OCHA; Amnesty International

    Gaza since October 2023

    1. On 7 October 2023, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians according to Israeli figures cited by the UN, and 251 people were taken hostage into Gaza. Israel then launched an assault on Gaza of a scale not seen before: mass civilian casualties, the destruction of most of the Strip's buildings and the forced displacement of almost its entire population. By mid-December 2024, Gaza's Ministry of Health had recorded more than 45,000 Palestinians killed. On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

      Killed in Israel on 7 October
      About 1,200
      Taken hostage
      251
      Killed in Gaza by mid-December 2024 (Ministry of Health)
      45,000+
      Children killed in Gaza by mid-December 2024
      17,000+
      Displaced
      1.9M
      Structures damaged or destroyed
      About 69% (UNOSAT, Dec 2024)

      Sources: UN Commission of Inquiry: detailed findings on attacks on and after 7 October 2023 (A/HRC/56/CRP.3); PBS / AP: Gaza death toll tops 45,000 (16 Dec 2024); UNOSAT: Gaza Strip damage assessment, 1 December 2024; Gaza Ministry of Health; UN OCHA; ICJ Genocide Case; Lancet: Death Toll Analysis

    2. In South Africa v. Israel, the International Court of Justice finds that Palestinians in Gaza have plausible rights to protection under the Genocide Convention and orders six provisional measures. Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts, prevent and punish direct and public incitement to genocide, and enable urgently needed humanitarian aid. The Court did not order a ceasefire. Most measures passed 15 votes to 2; those on incitement and aid passed 16 to 1.

      Provisional measures ordered
      6
      Vote on most measures
      15–2

      Sources: ICJ: South Africa v. Israel, case page; ICJ press release, 26 January 2024 (UNISPAL); EJIL: Talk! analysis of the order

    3. Answering a request from the UN General Assembly, the International Court of Justice advises that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful (11 votes to 4). Israel must end it as rapidly as possible, stop all new settlement activity and evacuate all settlers (14 to 1), and make reparation. The Court also said all states must not recognise the occupation as legal or help maintain it, and that Israel's laws and measures breach the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid.

      Vote: occupation unlawful
      11–4
      Vote: evacuate settlers
      14–1

      Sources: ICJ: Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the OPT, case page; UN: ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 (UNISPAL); Diakonia IHL Centre: summary of the Advisory Opinion

    4. By December 2025, the death toll surpasses 70,000, with UNICEF reporting more than 50,000 children killed or injured and a Brown University study finding over 10% of Gaza's population killed or seriously injured. International condemnation grows as Israel approves 19 new West Bank settlements. A ceasefire agreement took effect on 10 October 2025, but Israeli strikes have continued to kill and injure Palestinians since, and the reported toll has kept climbing.

      Killed
      70.1K
      Children killed
      20.0K
      Children killed or injured
      50.0K
      Journalists killed
      200
      Population killed or seriously injured
      10%+
      New settlements approved
      19

      Sources: Gaza Ministry of Health; Al Jazeera Death Toll Tracker; France24: Death Toll 70,000; UNICEF: 50,000 Children; Committee to Protect Journalists; Brown University: Human Toll Study; Guardian: 19 New Settlements

    5. Nearly a year into the ceasefire that took effect on 10 October 2025, Gaza's Ministry of Health reports the cumulative death toll has climbed to 74,016, with 175,068 people reported injured, as Israeli strikes have continued to kill Palestinians despite the truce. A joint UN, EU and World Bank damage assessment finds 76.6% of Gaza's housing units (371,888 of 485,361) destroyed or damaged and all 36 of the Strip's hospitals damaged. Separately, after a year-long review, the Committee to Protect Journalists revises its confirmed count of journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces since October 2023 to 191, after removing individuals it found had been militants or combatants.

      Killed
      74.0K
      Injured total
      175.1K
      Since ceasefire killed
      1.4K
      Journalists revised
      191
      Housing destroyed or damaged pct
      76.6%
      Housing destroyed or damaged count
      371.9K

      Sources: WAFA: Gaza death toll rises to 74,016 since October 2023; Committee to Protect Journalists: CPJ completes review of journalists killed; World Bank/EU/UN: Gaza Strip Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), April 2026; UNICEF: State of Palestine Humanitarian Situation Report No.48 (Mid-Year), 30 June 2026