lt in Palestine.
According to British census data, the population of Tiberias was 4427 Jews, 2096 Muslims, 422 Christians, 5 others in 1922; 5381 Jews, 2645 Muslims, 565 Christians, 10 others in 1931; and 6000 Jews, 4540 Muslims, 760 Christians, 10 others in 1945.
Between the April 8–9, 1948, sporadic shooting broke out between the Jewish and Arab neighbourhoods of Tiberias. On April 10, the Haganah launched a mortar barrage, killing some Arab residents. The local National Committee refused the offer of the Arab Liberation Army to take over defense of the city, but a small contingent of outside irregulars moved in. During April 10–17, the Haganah attacked the city and refused to negotiate a truce, while the British refused to intervene. The Arab population (6,000 residents or 47.5% of the population) was evacuated under British military protection on 18 April 1948. No order to expel the population had been given to the Jewish forces and the evacuation seems to have surprised them. Widespread looting of the Arab areas by the Jewish population had to be suppressed by force by the Haganah and Jewish police, who killed or injured several
