The causes of exodus as classified by Morris. See Table-2. A numerical number is given for each symbol for purposes of analysis. If two symbols are indicated by Morris, the more severe symbol is given the equivalent number. The same classification is applied to the localities in AS list, which are not covered by Morris (M No), in which case no symbol but a reference number is given.Table-3 shows the number of localities depopulated as classified by Morris (a) and extended to other localities(b) for each district.
From this analysis, the following results are obtained. Of 330 villages assessed by Morris, 41 (12%) had left because of “expulsion by Jewish forces”, 195 (59%) by military assaults, 46 (14%) by imminent Jewish attack after the fall of a neighbouring village. This gives a total of 282 (85%) villages depopulated by direct military action. Extending the same method of assessment to the expanded list (AS), the equivalent figure is 441 (89%) villages. The psychological warfare (‘Whispering Campaign’ or fear of attack) accounts for 50 (10%) villages. Five villages (1%) left on orders of a local leader or ‘mukhtar’. Thirty five villages could not be determined. As Morris confirmed, the claim that refugees left on Arab orders is a myth.
The pattern of depopulation/expulsion is very clear and consistent. As has been reported by the refugees and Palestinian writers decades ago, now confirmed by the ‘new’ Israeli historians and the reports of United Nations Truce Observers, the pattern goes like this:
Table-2: Classification of Exodus by Morris
| Ref. |
Symbol |
Explanation |
| 1 |
E |
Expulsion by Jewish forces. |
| 2 |
M |
Military assault by Jewish troops. |
| 3 |
W |
Haganah/IDF "whispering" campaigns(i.e. psychological warfare geared to obtaining Arab evacuation). |
| 4 |
F |
Fear of Jewish attack, or of being caught up in the fighting. |
| 5 |
C |
Influence of falls of, or exodus from, neighbouring town. |
| 6 |
A |
Abandonment on Arab orders. |
Table-3: Assignment of Reasons for Exodus per Each District
| District/No. |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
No Number |
Total |
| A |
B |
A |
B |
A |
B |
A |
B |
A |
B |
A |
B |
B |
A |
B |
| Acre |
8 |
1 |
14 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
22 |
8 |
| al-Ramla |
6 |
|
37 |
7 |
|
|
2 |
|
6 |
|
1 |
|
5 |
52 |
12 |
| Baysan |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
16 |
|
1 |
|
5 |
25 |
6 |
| Beersheba |
1 |
52 |
1 |
29 |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
86 |
| Gaza |
5 |
3 |
25 |
7 |
|
|
3 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
35 |
11 |
| Haifa |
6 |
5 |
25 |
6 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
9 |
38 |
21 |
| Hebron |
2 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
14 |
2 |
| Jaffa |
|
2 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
|
9 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
21 |
4 |
| Jerusalem |
1 |
1 |
29 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
30 |
9 |
| Jinin |
1 |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
0 |
| Nazareth |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
0 |
| Safad |
8 |
2 |
20 |
16 |
9 |
|
8 |
|
12 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
57 |
21 |
| Tiberias |
|
7 |
8 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
3 |
15 |
11 |
| Tulkarm |
2 |
6 |
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
2 |
|
0 |
|
|
2 |
8 |
10 |
| Total |
41 |
81 |
195 |
75 |
12 |
4 |
31 |
3 |
46 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
35 |
330 |
201 |
| G.Total[A+B] |
122 |
270 |
16 |
34 |
49 |
5 |
35 |
531 |
| Percentage(%) |
22.98 % |
50.85 % |
3.01 % |
6.40 % |
9.23 % |
0.94 % |
6.59 |
100 % |
A = from Morris designation. See Table-2
B = deduced from other sources |
After the military occupation of the village or after the surrender of the population carrying a white flag or submitting a written petition, men are gathered in the main square or nearby woods and women and children are gathered in a separate place. The village is surrounded from three sides, leaving the fourth side open for escape. Three or four dozen young men are shot dead. Others are ordered to dig their graves. The cycle of shooting and digging graves continues all day. The number of victims in a village is typically 50-200 (see more details later). The rest are taken to labour camps for several months up to two years (usually in Ijlil). The women are stripped of their jewellery and money and ordered to run towards Arab lines with shots over their heads. The village houses are looted, or else belongings destroyed. Later most village houses were rased to the ground.