The year 1948 was a turning point in the history of Birzeit College. By the spring, the political situation looked precarious, and Birzeit administrators worried that the school year which normally ended in June would be interrupted by events connected with the withdrawal of British forces and the end of the British Mandate lasting since 1917. The administrators decided to complete the semester curriculum by April, scheduling the graduation ceremony for April 30, 1948 and to be held under the auspices of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, the chief commander of the Army of the Holy War. However, he was killed on April 8 at the battle of Al-Qastal by the Jewish paramilitary force Haganah, who were defending positions on that hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem.