On July 22, 1946, the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the administrative headquarters of the British Mandate authorities in Palestine, was bombed.
The attack was carried out by the Zionist paramilitary organization Irgun. Members of the group placed explosives in the basement of the hotel’s southern wing, disguised in milk churns.
The explosion destroyed a significant portion of the building. A total of 91 people were killed, including British officials, Arab civilians, and Jewish civilians. Dozens more were injured.
The British government stated that no adequate warning had been received in time to evacuate the building. Irgun representatives stated that warning calls had been made prior to the explosion.
The bombing occurred during a period of escalating violence between Jewish paramilitary groups and British authorities in Mandatory Palestine.
The attack led to international condemnation and intensified British security operations against Jewish underground organizations.
