In 1948, several significant events occurred in Palestine and Israel, including:

• May 14, 1948: The State of Israel was declared, triggering the first Arab-Israeli War.
• May 15, 1948: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 began when five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel.
• Between 1947 and 1949: Zionist military forces attacked major Palestinian cities and destroyed some 530 villages. About 15,000 Palestinians were killed in a series of mass atrocities, including dozens of massacres. Zionist military forces expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands and captured 78 percent of historic Palestine. The remaining 22 percent was divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.
• October and December 1948: Israeli forces crossed into Lebanese territory and pushed into Egypts Sinai Peninsula, encircling the Egyptian forces near Gaza.
• 1949: Israel and the Arab states did not reach any formal armistice agreements until February. Under separate agreements, Israel signed armistice agreements with Egypt on February 24, Lebanon on March 23, Transjordan on April 3, and Syria on July 20.

These events marked the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which continues to this day.