Palestine / Land & people / British rule, 1917–1948 / The 1947–1949 war / 1949–1967

Displacement of Palestinian Arabs, 1947–1949

1947–1949Began between 30 Nov 1947 and 31 Dec 1947. Ended between 20 Jul 1949 and 31 Dec 1950.

Palestinian Arabs who fled or were expelled from the territory that came under Israeli control during the 1947–1949 war.

4 sources4 independent roots1 open questionOpened on 12 Nov 2026

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CountsThe committee's statistical expert estimated about 711,000 refugees from territory under Israeli control.

711,000 refugees counted as: Refugees from Israeli-controlled territory, as estimated for the committee in 1949

Primary documentReport of the Technical Committee on Refugees to the UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine, 1949Open the original on un.org

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The committee attributed much of the variation between estimates to the different definitions of a refugee in use.

Primary documentReport of the Technical Committee on Refugees to the UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine, 1949Open the original on un.org

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CountsMorris reports that Israeli spokesmen publicly cited about 520,000 and that Israel officially held to 520,000–530,000.

520,000–530,000 refugees counted as: Israel's official public figure

Secondary bookThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, Appendix 1: The number of Palestinian refugees, Benny Morris, 2004Open the original on cambridge.org

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CountsMorris reports that from 1949 Arab officials spoke of 900,000 or one million.

900,000–1,000,000 refugees counted as: Figures used by Arab officials

Secondary bookThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, Appendix 1: The number of Palestinian refugees, Benny Morris, 2004Open the original on cambridge.org

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CountsMorris reports that the UN Economic Survey Mission and UNRWA put the figure at 726,000.

726,000 refugees counted as: UN Economic Survey Mission / UNRWA registration

Secondary bookThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, Appendix 1: The number of Palestinian refugees, Benny Morris, 2004Open the original on cambridge.org

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CountsMorris reports that Walter Eytan, director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, wrote privately in late 1950 that the real number was close to 800,000.

800,000 refugees counted as: Private estimate by an Israeli official

Secondary bookThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, Appendix 1: The number of Palestinian refugees, Benny Morris, 2004Open the original on cambridge.org

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CountsKarsh writes that at the end of the war the Israeli government set the number at 550,000–600,000.

550,000–600,000 refugees counted as: Israeli government figure at the end of the war

Secondary articleHow Many Palestinian Arab Refugees Were There?, Efraim Karsh, 2011Open the original on meforum.org

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CountsKarsh writes that by the end of October 1948 official Arab estimates ranged between 740,000 and 780,000.

740,000–780,000 refugees counted as: Official Arab estimates, end of October 1948

Secondary articleHow Many Palestinian Arab Refugees Were There?, Efraim Karsh, 2011Open the original on meforum.org

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CountsPRRN notes that Palestinian researchers have suggested up to 850,000.

up to 850,000 refugees counted as: Estimates by Palestinian researchers

Tertiary web pagePalestinian Refugees: An OverviewOpen the original on prrn.mcgill.ca

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Where they disagree

Numbers differ

How many Palestinian Arabs became refugees in 1947–1949?

The figures differ mainly by definition (who counts as a refugee, from which territory, on whose relief rolls) and by date. Read each figure's definition before comparing.

About 520,000–600,000

Israeli official figures.