Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948, after it was recognized as a country in the Middle East by the United Nations. This caused Arab nations, such as Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria to attack Israel on the same day it gained independence.
Before Israel's independence, the British army was based in Palestine fighting against the Haganah, which it perceived to be a terrorist organization. Haganah later became the Israeli army after the independence. The British army withdrew on the same day. The Israelis were less equipped yet managed to put a strong fight against the Arabs, seizing key areas, such as the Palestinian coast and Galilee.
