List of battles and operations in the 1948 Palestine war
Following is a list of battles and operations in the 1948 Palestine war.
Operations in the 1947–1948 inter-communal war in Palestine
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle for Jerusalem | February - March 1948 | Jaysh al-Jihad al-Muqqadas attempt to blockade Jerusalem | |
| Operation Hashmed | lit. Destroy! | March 30, 1948 | Haganah clearance of the Isdud–Yibna road |
| Operation Nachshon | Named for Nahshon | April 4–20, 1948 | Haganah clearance of Arab forces blocking the road to Jerusalem |
| Battle of Mishmar HaEmek | — | April 5–9, 1948 |
Arab Liberation Army attempt to conquer the kibbutz of Mishmar HaEmek. |
| Battle of Ramat Yohanan | — | April 12–16, 1948 | Battle in Ramat Yohanan between Druze and Haganah forces, leading to a Druze–Haganah alliance |
| Operation Harel[1][2] | Named for Harel Brigade | April 15–21, 1948 | Haganah clearance of Arab forces northeast of the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem road |
| Operation Bi'ur Hametz | lit. Destruction of bread (referring to cleaning one's house of bread on Passover) | April 21–23, 1948 | Haganah capture of Haifa (Misparayim Plan) |
| Battle of Manshiyya | — | April 25–27 | Irgun attack on the Manshiyya neighborhood of Jaffa, leading to British intervention |
| Operation Hametz[3] | See Chametz | April 27 – May 13, 1948 | Haganah capture villages east of Jaffa |
| Operation Yevusi[4] | Named for Yevus, a name for Jerusalem and its first inhabitants. | April 22 – May 2, 1948 | Haganah capture of buildings in Jerusalem's Western neighborhoods |
| Operation Yiftach[5] | Named for Yiftach Brigade | April 15 – May 15, 1948 | Haganah/Palmach capture of Safed and other villages in the eastern Galilee |
| Operation Matateh[6] | lit. Broom | May 3–4, 1948 | Part of Operation Yiftach; opening up Tiberias–Metula road |
| Battle of Safed | — | May 6–12, 1948 | Part of Operation Yiftach; capture of Safed by Palmach forces |
| Operation Maccabi[7] | lit. Maccabee | May 8, 1948 | Haganah opening up the corridor to Jerusalem. |
| Operation Gideon[8] | May 11, 1948 | Haganah capture of Beit She'an and surrounding area. | |
| Operation Barak[9][10] | lit. Lightning | May 10–15, 1948 | Capturing areas under responsibility of Givati Brigade |
| Operation Ben-Ami | Named after the KIA commander Ben-Ami Fechter | May 13–14, 1948 | Capture of Acre and the coast up to the Lebanese border |
| Operation Schfifon | lit. Cerastes cerastes | May 13, 1948 | Capture of buildings abandoned by British troops in the Old City of Jerusalem |
| Operation Kilshon | lit. Pitchfork | May 14–18, 1948 | Capture of buildings abandoned by British troops to strengthen the Jewish military position in Jerusalem |
Arms acquisitions
Following is a list of operations undertaken by the Yishuv and later Israel to acquire munitions abroad.
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Balak | Named for Balak | March 31 – August 12, 1948 | Aerial transport of arms acquisitions from Czechoslovakia |
| Altalena Affair | — | June 22, 1948 | Irgun arms acquisition which led to Haganah's Operation Tihur (lit. Purifying) and the destruction of the Altalena ship |
| Operation Velvetta | September 24–27, 1948 | Transport of Supermarine Spitfires acquired by Israel through Czechoslovakia |
First stage
Following is a list of operations between May 15, 1948—the Arab invasion of Palestine—and June 11, 1948—the first truce of the war.
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern front | |||
| Battle of Malkiya | — | May 13–15, 1948 | Successful Lebanese capture of al-Malkiyya |
| Battle of Gesher | — | May 15–17, 1948 | Failed Iraqi attack on Gesher |
| Battles of the Kinarot Valley | — | May 15–21, 1948 | Successful Syrian capture Samakh and failed attack on Degania Alef and Degania Bet |
| Israeli raid on Syrian customs house | — | May 18–19 | Successful Israeli raid on Syrian customs house, destroying vehicles and munitions, and creating an alliance with regional Bedouin |
| Operation Namel | lit. Port | May 22–23, 1948 | Successful Israeli capture of al-Tantura (near Haifa) |
| Operation Erez[11] | lit. Cedar | May 28–30, 1948 | Preparation for Operation Yitzhak by capturing the area of Mount Gilboa |
| Operation Yitzhak | June 3, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture Jenin | |
| Battle of Mishmar HaYarden | — | June 10, 1948 | Successful Syrian capture of Mishmar HaYarden |
| Battle of Ein Gev | — | June 10, 1948 | Failed Syrian attack on Ein Gev |
| Jerusalem front | |||
| Battle for Jerusalem (May 15 – July 18, 1948) | |||
| Battles of the Old City of Jerusalem | — | May 16–28, 1948 | Jordanian capture of the Old City of Jerusalem |
| Battles of Jerusalem | — | May 19–30, 1948 | Israeli–Jordanian battles in northern Jerusalem |
| Battles of Ramat Rachel | — | May 22–25, 1948 | Seesaw battles in Ramat Rachel, ending in the failure of Egypt and Jordan to capture the village |
| Operation Bin Nun A | Named for Joshua Bin Nun | May 30, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture Latrun |
| Operation Bin Nun B | Named for Joshua Bin Nun | June 1, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture Latrun |
| Operation Yoram | June 8–9, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture Latrun | |
| Battle of Gezer | — | June 10, 1948 | Successful Jordanian raid on Gezer |
| Southern front | |||
| Battles of Kfar Darom | — | May 13–15, 1948 | Failed Egyptian army and Muslim Brotherhood attacks on Kfar Darom |
| Battle of Nirim | — | May 15, 1948 | Failed Egyptian attack on Nirim |
| Battle of Yad Mordechai | — | May 19–24, 1948 | Egyptian failure to capture Yad Mordechai, evacuation by besieged Israelis |
| First Battle of Negba | — | June 2, 1948 | Failed Egyptian attack on Negba |
| Operation Pleshet | lit. Phillistia | June 2–3, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture Isdud; successful stoppage of Egyptian advance |
| Battle of Nitzanim | — | June 7, 1948 | Successful Egyptian capture of Nitzanim |
| Battle of Hill 69 | — | June 10, 1948 | Successful Egyptian capture of Hill 69 near Nitzanim |
Battles of the Ten Days and second truce
Following is a list of battles and operations between the first and second truces of the war—July 8, 1948—July 18, 1948. This period was named "Battles of the Ten Days" in Israel. Also listed are Israeli operations during the second truce.
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Israeli units | Arab units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Dekel | lit. Palm tree | July 9–18, 1948 | ||
| Successful Israeli capture of Nazareth and the Lower Galilee | ||||
| Operation Brosh | lit. Cypress | July 9–18 | ||
| Unsuccessful Israeli attempt to drive the Syrian army out of Israel | ||||
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Israeli units | Arab units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Danny | Named after Danny Mas of the Convoy of 35 | July 9–18, 1948 | ||
| Relief of Jerusalem and removal of threat on Tel Aviv—the planned capture of Lydda, Ramla, Latrun and Ramallah (abbr. Larlar). The first stage (Lydda and Ramla) met with success, and the second did not materialize. | ||||
| Battles of the Mandelbaum Gate | — | July 9–19 | ||
| Seesaw battles for the Mandelbaum Gate area that ended in a stalemate | ||||
| Operation Kedem | lit. East | July 16–17, 1948 | ||
| Israeli failure to capture East Jerusalem | ||||
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Israeli units | Arab units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation An-Far | Short for Anti-Farouk | July 8–15, 1948 |
|
|
| Israeli failure to open a corridor from the center of the country to the Negev | ||||
| Second Battle of Negba | — | July 12, 1948 |
|
|
| Egyptian attack on Negba repulsed | ||||
| Battle of Be'erot Yitzhak | — | July 15, 1948 |
|
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| Egyptian attack on Be'erot Yitzhak repulsed | ||||
| Operation Death to the Invader | — | July 16–18, 1948 |
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| Israeli failure to open a corridor from the center of the country to the Negev | ||||
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Israeli units | Arab units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Shoter[12] | lit. Policeman | July 24–26 |
|
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| Israeli capture of the "little triangle" south of Haifa, to relieve the Tel Aviv – Haifa road[13] | ||||
| Operation GYS 1 | Abbreviation for Golani, Yiftach, Sergei | July 27, 31, 1948 | ||
| Israeli failure to open a corridor from the center of the country to the Negev | ||||
| Operation GYS 2 | July 31, 1948 |
|
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| Successful Israeli escort of a convoy to the Negev enclave | ||||
| Operation Avak | lit. Dust | August 23 – October 21, 1948 | ||
| Israeli Air Force operation to transport food, supplies and soldiers to the Negev enclave | ||||
Final stage
Following is a list of battles and operations from the second truce of the war up to the 1949 Armistice Agreements.
| Name | Etymology / English translation |
Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern front | |||
| Battle of Sheikh 'Abd | — | October 22–23 | Battles in and around the Israel–Lebanon border position of Sheikh 'Abd end in a ceasefire |
| Operation Hiram | October 24–29, 1948 | Israeli expulsion of Fawzi al-Qawuqji's Arab Liberation Army and capture of the Galilee | |
| Jerusalem front | |||
| Operation Ha-Har | lit. The Mountain | October 19–22, 1948 | Israeli operation to extend the Jerusalem Corridor to the south[14] |
| Operation Yekev | lit. Winery | October 19–21, 1948 | Successful Israeli capture of certain positions around Jerusalem, failure to take the outskirts of Beit Jala |
| Southern front | |||
| Operation Yoav (October 15–22, 1948) Named after KIA commander Yitzhak "Yoav" Dubno Successful lifting of the Egyptian siege on Jewish settlements in Negev | |||
| Battle of the Beit Hanoun wedge | — | October 15–22, 1948 | Israeli capture of Beit Hanoun in order to create a wedge between Egyptian forces to the north-northeast and south |
| Battles of the Separation Corridor | — | October 15–22, 1948 | Successful lifting of the Egyptian siege on Jewish settlements in Negev |
| Operation Moshe | Named after Moshe Albert, KIA in Beit Eshel | October 21, 1948 | Israeli capture of Beersheba |
| Operation Egrof | lit. Fist | October 15–16, 1948 | Israeli aerial bombardment of Egyptian bases in Operation Yoav |
| Naval campaign in Operation Yoav | — | October 16–22, 1948 | Naval engagements between Israel and Egypt, including sinking of the Egyptian flagship Emir Farouk |
| Northern Negev campaign after Operation Yoav | — | October 27 – November 9, 1948 | Israeli capture of Bayt Jibrin, Isdud and Majdal, and other important points, culminating in Operation Shmone |
| Operation Shmone | lit. Eight | November 9, 1948 | Israeli capture of the Iraq Suwaydan police fort |
| Operation Lot | Named for the Biblical character Lot | November 23–25, 1948 | Israeli link-up with the enclave at Sodom |
| Operation David | November 29–30, 1948 | Sinking of the Lebanese navy ship Igris, formerly German auxiliary ship Grille, Adolf Hitler's private yacht | |
| Operation Assaf | December 5–7, 1948 | Israeli attack against Egyptian thrust into the Negev on the Gaza–Beersheba road | |
| Operation Horev (December 22, 1948 – January 7, 1949) Removal by Israel of Egyptian presence in the Negev (except the Gaza Strip), and operations in the Sinai peninsula | |||
| Battle of Hill 86 | — | December 22–23, 1948 | Israeli failure to capture the strategic Hill 86 in the Gaza Strip |
| Battle of Bir Thamila | — | December 25–26, 1948 | Israeli capture of Bir Thamila and its surroundings, on its way to the Sinai |
| Battle of al-Auja | — | December 25–27, 1948 | Israeli capture of Auja al-Hafir, a village bordering Egypt |
| Battles of the Sinai | — | December 28, 1948 – January 2, 1949 | Israeli encirclement of the Egyptian forces in the Gaza Strip by entering the Sinai Peninsula. The forces were withdrawn following international pressure. |
| Battle of Rafah | — | January 3–8, 1949 | Failed Israeli attack on numerous positions south of Rafah |
| Operation Hisul | lit. Liquidation | December 27–28 | Failed Israeli attack on Iraq al-Manshiyya |
| Operation Uvda | lit. Fact (named for objective of creating facts on the ground) | March 5–10, 1949 | Establishing Israeli sovereignty in the Negev |
| Operation Yitzuv | lit. Stabilization | March 7–9, 1949 | Part of Operation Uvda; Israeli capture of parts of the Dead Sea's western shores and linking up with Ein Gedi |
See also
- 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
- 1948 Arab–Israeli War
- Killings and massacres during the 1948 Palestine War
- Depopulated Palestinian locations in Israel
Notes
- ^ Walid Khalidi (1992). All that remains: the Palestinian villages occupied and depopulated by Israel in 1948. Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 398. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- ^ Bennî Môrîs (1987). The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem: 1947-1949. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge University Press. p. 113. ISBN 0-521-33028-9.
- ^ Morris, page 100. 'All That Remains' lists 8 villages/towns captured. e.g., al-'Abbasiyya (pop 5,650 including 150 Jews), Bayt Dajan (pop 3,840), Kafr 'Ana (pop. 3,020 inc 220 Jews), Salama (pop. 6,730), Yazur (pop. 4,030) etc.
- ^ Morris, page 113. 'aimed ... at wresting from Arab control further areas in and around Jerusalem'
- ^ Morris, page 102. 'The conquest of Arab Safad, the areas main town, was the linchpin of the campaign.'
- ^ Morris, page 121. 'a sub-operation designed to clear out the Arab population from the Jordan Valley area south of Rosh Pinna between the north-south road and the Jordan River.'
- ^ Morris, page 113. All That Remains. Page 276. Bayt Mahsir (pop. 2,400), 'the newly formed Har'el Brigade of the Palmach. The History of the Haganah states that "this village was not occupied easily; but was attacked by Palmach troops for three nights, and it was not occupied until the morning of 11 May."
- ^ 'All That Remains' list 11 villages captured by the Golani Brigade during this operation.
- ^ Morris, pages 126–127. 'The objective of the operation was: "To deny the enemy a base... creating general panic and breaking his morale... It can be assumed that delivering a blow to one or more of these centers [i.e., Majdal, Isdud or Yivna will cause the wandering [i.e., exodus] of the inhabitants of the smaller settlements of the area. This outcome is possible especially in view of the wave of panic that recently swept over [the Arabs of] the country."' 'Mortaring almost invariably preceded each ground assault.'
- ^ 'All That Remains' lists 20 towns and villages e.g. pages 83/82. Al-Batani al-Gharbi (pop. 980) 'By the end of May the two brigades had succeeded in occupying over thirty villages and "clearing" the area of tens of thousands of people.'. It mentions the Givati Brigade, the Negev Brigade and one attack involving the IZL. Commander of Operation: Shimon Avidan.
- ^ All That Remains. Page 335. 'a number of villages in the vicinity of Jinin'.
- ^ Morris, page 213. Alexandroni, Carmeli, Golani Brigades.
- ^ The "little triangle" refers to the villages Jaba', Ijzim, and 'Ayn Ghazal.
- ^ Daṿid Ṭal (2004). War in Palestine, 1948: Strategy and Diplomacy. Routledge. p. 407. ISBN 978-0-7146-5275-7.
Bibliography
- Tal, David (2004). War in Palestine, 1948: strategy and diplomacy (Illustrated ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7146-5275-7.
