Balad al-Shaykh massacre facts for kids

The Balad al-Shaykh massacre was a tragic event where many Arab villagers were killed. This happened in the village of Balad al-Shaykh. It was carried out by the Haganah, a Jewish defense group. This event took place during the early part of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine. It was one of the first and largest attacks of its kind during the 1948 Palestine war.

The attack happened very early in the morning. Some people, including men, women, and children, were killed while they were still in their beds. This event had a big impact on the people living in the Haifa area. It made many Palestinian civilians feel very worried and unsafe.

What Led to the Attack?

This incident was part of a larger conflict. It was the 1947–1948 civil war between Jewish and Arab communities. This war took place in a region called Mandatory Palestine. Before this attack, there had been several violent events. Each new event often happened as a way to get back at the other side.

One earlier attack on Balad al-Shaykh happened on December 12. This was after some Arabs had fired at cars passing through Wadi Rushmiya. In response, Haganah forces killed six villagers.

Another important event was the Haifa Oil Refinery massacre. This happened on December 30, 1947. This was just one day before the second attack on Balad al-Shaykh. In this earlier event, a Jewish group called the Irgun threw grenades. They threw them at a crowd of about 100 Arab workers. These workers were waiting for jobs outside the Haifa oil refinery. This attack resulted in six deaths and 42 injuries.

After this, Arab refinery workers and others attacked Jewish workers. They killed 39 of them. A Jewish committee in Haifa investigated what happened. They concluded that the Arab attack was not planned. Instead, it was a reaction to the Irgun's attack. The Jewish Agency also criticized the Irgun. They called their actions an "act of madness." They said it caused the terrible loss of Jewish lives. At the same time, the Jewish Agency allowed the Haganah to plan a revenge operation.

The Attack Itself

On the night of December 31, 1947, leading into January 1, 1948, the Palmach attacked. The Palmach was a special part of the Haganah. They attacked the village of Balad al-Shaykh. The villagers were asleep when the attack began. The attackers fired from the slopes of Mount Carmel.

According to historian Benny Morris, the Haganah launched a large counter-attack. This happened on the night of December 31, 1947, to January 1, 1948. They raided Balad al-Shaykh and another village called Hawassa. Many workers from the refinery lived in these villages. The orders for the attacking unit were to "kill maximum adult males." The attackers went into the center of Balad al-Shaykh. They shot into houses and blew them up. They also pulled out adult men and shot them.

Haganah reports said that their units sometimes hit women and children. This happened when they were fired upon from inside houses. The Haganah group had two people killed and two injured. Their reports stated that Arab casualties were "about 70 killed." Other reports said 21 were killed, including two women and five children, and 41 were injured.

Another historian, Zachary Lockman, states that about 60 men, women, and children were killed. He also noted that several dozen houses were blown up.

What Happened After

Today, the land where the village used to be is part of the Israeli town of Nesher.

See also

• Killings and massacres during the 1948 Palestine War