Timeline of May 1948
May 1: Lebanon
and Syria decide to send troops to Palestine at end of Mandate on May
15th.
May 2: Iraq dispatches troops
to town of Mafraq, in Transjordan, en route to Palestine after May
15th. Three planeloads of arms for Haganah arrive from France.
May 3: Between 175,000 and
200,000 Palestinian refugees are reported to have fled from areas taken
by Zionists. Jewish colonists from Gush Etzion, south of
Jerusalem, ambush traffic on road to city.
May 4: Unit of Transjordan Arab
Legion, operating in Palestine under British command, shells Gush
Etzion in retaliation for ambush.
May 5: ALA unit under Michel
Issa withdraws from Jaffa, ending city's resistance.
May 6:
May 7:
May 8:
May 9:
May 10: Haganah
enters Jaffa.
May 11: Haganah captures Safed
and surrounding villages.
May 12: State of emergency
declared in all Arab countries and able-bodied Palestinian men barred
entry to them. Egyptian parliament decides to send troops to
Palestine at end of Mandate.
May 13: Arrival of second and
third Czech arms consignments for Haganah.
May 14: Arab Legion, ALA and
local militia attack and capture Jewish settlements of Etzion bloc,
retaliating for attacks on Hebron road. Jaffa formally surrenders to
Haganah.
May 15: State of Israel
proclaimed in Tel Aviv at 4pm. Haganah launches Operation Schfifon for
capture of Old City of Jerusalem.
May 16: British Mandate ends.
Declaration of State of Israel comes into effect. President Truman
recognizes State of Israel.
May 17: Haganah captures
Acre.
May 18: Syrian troops retake
Palestinian town of Samakh, south of Lake Tiberias, and capture Zionist
colonies of Shaar Hagolan and Masada.
May 19: Haganah breaks into Old
City of Jerusalem. Arab Legion comes to the rescue of Old City.
May 20: UN Security Council
appoints Count Folke Bernadotte as its mediator in Palestine.
May 21:
May 22: Security Council
resolution calls for cease-fire.
May 23:
May 24:
May 25:
May 26:
May 27:
May 28:
May 29:
May 30:
May 31:
Reference: http://www.alnakba.org/chronology/sixth.htm