 Nevertheless , Palestinian historiography and collective memory point out that during the exodus of Palestinian Arab population of the 1948 War the massacres and forced expulsions that happened could be seen as ethnic cleansing . In the Latrun zone , this affected about 20 villages and ten thousand Palestinian Arabs . Some inhabitants fled during the fights of April but most fled when the Israelis attacked their village during the following operations . After capturing a village , the Israeli soldiers systematically expelled the non @-@ combatants , intimidating them to leave and demolishing houses . A massacre of between thirty and seventy Arabs took place some days after Abu Shusha was taken . Most villages were levelled , so as not to be used by the Arab volunteers and to prevent the inhabitants returning . In some cases Jewish settlements were established on village land . 
