the villagers fled or were expelled to nearby villages, where they remained until the complete jewish conquest of the galilee in october. at that time, many of the residents went to lebanon while others fled to nearby arab towns and became israeli citizens due to their registration in the october–november census. the latter tried repeatedly to settle back in their village. some apparently obtained permission but others went back illegally. on january 24, 1950, the military governor of the galilee ordered all the residents of al-ghabisiyya to leave within 48 hours and then declared the village a closed military area. no alternative accommodation had been arranged, and the villagers took up temporary residence in abandoned houses of nearby shaykh dawud and sheikh danun.