Israeli-Arab war of 1948-1949
The May 14th 1948, the British mandate on Palestine is completed officially and the State of Israel is proclaimed. Several Arab armies enter to Palestine to assist there the forces of the Armée with release already present in the country. The Palestinian Arab forces as for them dissolved or are integrated in the Arab armies. The first war Israeli-Arab , also called War of Independence , begins officially.
With the June 11th, the two camps underwent heavy losses in particular around Jerusalem and with end of force accept the one month truce asked by the mediator of UNO. The Arab forces positioned around the zones controlled by the Jews at the conclusion of the Plan Daleth but did not succeed in penetrating there nor to carry out the Jerusalem blockade.
The truce is made profitable by the two camps to reinforce their device but the Israelis who six months earlier did not lay out that of an under-equipped force of 5000 men are found at this time higher at the same time of number and in material to face divided adversaries and badly prepareds.
While UNO proposes other plans of division, the Israelis launch a series of military operations and take the control of all Galileo, of the south-west of Samarie, the major part of the coastal area, the west of Judaea until the sector of Jerusalem and of Negev.
During and after the combat, close to 300 000 Palestinian Arabic (on the 750.000 of the whole of the Palestinian Exodus) is expulsés, zones conquered and controlled by the Israelis.
Context
Conflict arabo-Zionist
- detailed Article: History of the Zionism
- detailed Article: Great Arab Revolt in Palestine
Since 1920, Palestine is under control and administration British but the country is the object of a combat between nationalisms Jew Zionist and Palestinian Arabic which oppose one the other like with the " occupant" British.
The Palestinian fight culminates with the Grande revolt of 1936-1939. Carried out by the Palestinian nationalists, she is opposed at the same time to the Zionism, the British presence in Palestine and to the Palestinian politicians asserting itself of a nationalism panarabe. British repression is bloody and the violent reaction of the organizations Zionists. In its term, the Palestinian nationalists obtain however British a Draconian reduction in the Jewish immigration represented by the White paper of 1939. But the consequences are heavy. The revolt made nearly 5000 died Arab side and 500 Jewish side. Different the paramilitary organizations Zionists was reinforced and the majority of the members of the Palestinian political elite were stopped and constrained with the exile. Among those, the chief of the Arab High committee, Hadj Amin Al-Husseini takes refuge in Nazi Germany where he seeks a support for his cause.
After the Second world war, following the drama of the Shoah, the movement Zionist attracts sympathy. In Palestine, the groups of the right-hand side Zionist lead to their tower a violence campaign against the punctuated British “occupation” of many attacks. The Palestinian nationalists reorganize but remain very late compared to the Zionists. However, the weakening of the colonial powers reinforced the Arab countries and the Arab Ligue recently formed takes again on its account the Palestinian nationalist claims and is used to them as spokesperson.
The diplomacy does not manage to reconcile the points of view. The February 18th 1947, the British announce the abandonment of their mandate on the area. The November 29th 1947, the General meeting of the United Nations votes a Plan of division of Palestine with the support of the great powers but without the support of the British and against the worldwide Arab.
End of the British mandate and the Palestinian defeat
- detailed Article: Civil war of 1947-1948 in Palestine agent
As of the shortly after the vote, the civil war bursts in Palestine. Until the end of March, the operations seem to turn to the advantage of the Palestinians and the voluntary Arabic who fights in Palestine. Circulation between the various Jewish zones is increasingly difficult and those are isolated the ones from the others. In particular, the 100.000 Jews of Jerusalem are besieged.
However, it is more of the result about a wait and see policy of the Haganah and David Ben Gourion in front of the need for reorganizing the army and in front of the interrogations on the British policy. The report/ratio of the forces is actually very favorable for them. When at the beginning of April, it passes to the offensive, the Palestinian forces and the Arab volunteers are crushed. Over the 6 last weeks of the British mandate, the forces Zionists take the control of all the mixed localities except for Jerusalem which they succeed in however supplying, restore the communication between the Jewish zones and ensure the continuity of the territory under their control.
Between 250.000 and 300.000 Palestinian Arabs, reducing, driven out by the combat or expelled, throw themselves on the roads of the exodus to take refuge in Samarie or in the adjoining countries. The Palestinians and their leaders are overcome and will not play any more any part in the continuation of the war. These events are preserved in the Palestinian memory under the name of Naqba or catastrophe .
Preparation with the war
- detailed Article: Protagonists of the war of Palestine of 1948
The Arab camp
According to the Jewish intelligence services of the time, the totality of the military forces of the members of the Arab Ligue is assembled to 165 000 soldiers with a military budget of 28 000 000 of pounds sterling. " If this force had been massively thrown in the battle, in spite of the pessimism of the English on his operational value, it could have directed the war in a way less favorable to the Juif S than it has it été." However, except for the Arab Legion of Transjordanie, the Arab armies are not ready.
Until the events of April, the Arab leaders are convinced that the Palestinians can only prevent the partition of Palestine and they did not do anything to prepare their armies to intervene. Politically, they are divided and being wary from/to each other and militarily, they have neither unified command, nor logistic and did not study of plan of invasion., They did not gather sufficient troops and do not have the reserves of ammunition, the material and the sufficient spare parts to support a war. Their aviation, on paper relatively impressive is in practice only far from operational.
It is following the Palestinian rout, with the exodus and the agitation caused by the Massacre of Deir Yassin and with fear to see the king Abdallah annexing Palestine which they will decide to intervene.
The Jewish camp
Under the instigation of David Ben Gourion, the Yichouv in priority prepared with the war to come.
The Haganah and the Palmach were reorganized. Each brigade saw itself allotted a theater of precise operation and the army has of a framing of quality and an effective chain of command. The obligatory conscription was decided. All the men and women were subjected a military training. Funds gathered near the sympathizers with the Zionist cause, more than 78.000.000 $ are devoted to the armament. Agents were sent in Europe and to the United States to buy weapons, ammunition and weaponries: rifles, machine-guns, mortars which started to arrive at the beginning of April but also guns, armored vehicles, tanks, hunters, bombers and warships without forgetting " half-track vehicles, ambulances, tankers, trailers, jeeps, transport of ammunition, tents, helmets, wire, cables, pipes, radios, telephones of campaigns, walkie-talkies, generators, cartridge pouches, pants, socks, laced boots, pullovers, lattice, flashlights, cases of help, products prophylactic… " Their routing was organized by air and sea so that the fighting forces have which it as soon as possible. The establishments were strengthened by trenches and minefields in particular with the accesses of the borders. Strict orders were given so that all the positions are held at all costs. Lastly, the application in April of the Plane Daleth and the launching of a series of operations made it possible to ensure the continuity of the territory to be defended while blocking the ways of entry in Palestine by the surge of Palestinian refugees.
The Jews will fight plain behind the common objective to found their state, in their fields and their villages, persuaded which they deal with war of extermination against adversary determined to destroy them.
Entry of the Arab armies in Palestine (May 15th, 1948 - June 11th, 1948)
Involved forces
In the days which follow, of the armies made up of approximately 1.000 Lebanon board, 6.000 Syria NS, 4.500 Iraq iens, 10 000 Egyptian and between 6.000 and 9.000 Transjordaniens unite with the civil Arab forces (12 000 men) and with the Army of Release (3 800 men according to Gresh and Vidal Alain Gresh and Dominique Vidal (1994), p. 145) and face an Israeli army of 30 000 with 35 000 men. During following months, each part sees to increase its forces but the Arab armies remain preceded by the Israelis, in particular because of their higher organization and of their best preparation.Here the table of the forces in presence at May 15th, 1948, presented by Jon and David Kimché (1960).
It is seen that separately the zone of Hebron (which in fact will be lost) the situation is numerically not bad for Israel. It is more delicate in term of heavy armament. But, “starting from May 14th, the official state from now on imports at the great day. And a more important material flows: first field guns on May 15th, other guns and mortars of 120 mm one week later, guns of 75 mm and machine-guns of all gauges on May 28th, and shortly after the famous Messerschmitt sold by Prague”. These weapons had been bought before, and for some were already at sea at the time of the creation of the state.
Arab plans
Military operations
Central face (Jerusalem)
- detailed Article: Battle of Latroun
Entre the May 19th and the May 28th, the Arab legion leads operations to Jerusalem. 19, the Jewish district of the Old city is encircled. The 28, it fall. Transjordaniens expel the civil population of the district. The loss is symbolically important, because it is the district where is located the Wailing Wall. The other Jewish districts of Jerusalem resist on the other hand. It should be noted that the groups armed with the Irgoun and the Lehi are still active at that time (Tsahal only on May 26th is created), and fought in a way autonomous (but coordinated) with dimensions of Haganah.
See the French Current events of the 6/24/1948 on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader). ''
Hard confrontations oppose to Latroun (north-western of Jerusalem) of the offensive Jewish forces and Transjordaniens which defend the city. For the Israelis, Latroun is the bolt of the road between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. The Israelis thus align against Latroun 4 brigades: a brigade coldly made up of new immigrants, the Alexandroni brigade, Givati and Yiftah. There are 3 Israeli major attacks, of which the last the day before the truce of June 11th. All fail, and the Israelis undergo important losses.
The back keeps Armée with Arab release (WENT) (which is withdrawn towards north) still has time to fight in Latroun and to bombard the Old city of Jerusalem
Latroun does not fall from all the war, and the Israelis must build a new Tel-Aviv road - Jerusalem-west, known as “road of Burma”. This one is built “with the nails” (the expression is of Elie Barnavi) before the truce of June 11th, by widening “a path parallel with the main road, in the mountain, to make it suitable for motor vehicles”. It was necessary for the Israelis to restore a transportation route for the trucks of supply between the coastal strip and Jerusalem-west before this date, or else the city would have become a Jewish enclave in Arab zone. The “road of Burma” is very summarily finished on June 9th, under difficult conditions and of extreme accuracy, two days before the truce. It is the American Jewish colonel David (Mickey) Marcus which takes care of the road. He becomes thus the first general of Tsahal, little before being killed by error by a sentinel.
Starting from May 21st, an Egyptian column reached Bethlehem after having crossed Negev and to be last by Beersheba. May 22nd, it grapeshot southern suburbs of Jerusalem. “Of the bloody combat are held in the south, against the forces combined of the Legion” and the 4e Egyptian brigade, for the control of the Ramath-Rahel kibbutz which orders the access of the new city. “Five times taken and taken again, the kibbutz will end up remaining with the hands of the men of the Irgoun. ”. In spite of this presence, the Egyptians play a part much less active than Transjordaniens in the battle of Jerusalem.
Northern face (Lake Tibériade)
“Around the Lake Tibériade, the Jewish army has it also escaped beautiful. Three days after their irruption, the Syrians remove Samakh and three evacuated Jewish colonies. But their chance turns, on May 20th, in front of the first of the kibbutzes, Degania, of which they force the entry, but without reducing it. Folded up on their side of the Jordan, the troops of Damas recross it to crush, on June 10th, the colony of Mishmar Hayarden: a head of durable bridge in Israeli territory. More in the south, the Iraqis, less fortunate, essuient a failure in front of the Gesher Kibbutz, before leaving, the ones for the face of Jerusalem, others, on May 24th, for the triangle” (north-western of the West Bank). The Iraqis are then replaced by part of the troops of the Arab Army of release (WENT). As from at the end of May, the face Syrian, held by the Syrians themselves and the reinforcements of WENT, will be relatively not very active.
Northern face (Galileo)
The conflict takes place makes some on 2 faces: the “finger of Galileo” (the extreme North-East of Palestine agent), and Galileo itself.In the west of the “finger of Galileo”, “the Yiftah brigade contained the Lebanese one on their own territory, for a bloody war of position, each city and village passing and passing by again, with the liking engagements, from one army to another”.
As a Galileo even, the Lebanese forces are shown more passive. They will penetrate only of one hundred meters in Palestinian territory. Galileo is especially held by secondary elements of WENT. The Israelis thus have a certain advantage in this zone, have regard to the weakness of the forces which they meet. The town of Acre (Northern of the coastal strip) thus was taken by the Carmeli brigade on May 21st, as well as other villages along the coast: Al-Zib, Samaria and Zaba (p.360). But the needs for troops on other faces (in particular Jerusalem) prevent them from fully exploiting the weakness of their opponents, and their progression remains limited.
Conscious of this weakness, and parallel to its deployment in the south of the Lake Tibériade, SUITED it reorganized in order to reinforce the face of Galileo via Lebanon, while joining what remained of its forces as a Galileo. WENT penetrated rather easily as a Galileo following the displacement of the Yiftah brigade towards the central face. These are these troops that the Israelis will face at the time of the Hiram operation, from October 29th to 31st 1948.
After the withdrawal of the Yiftah brigade, “its successor, the Oded brigade - formed colonists, immigrants and of a battalion of Haganah de Haïfa - will run up on June 6th, with one fulgurating Arab operation. Syrians, Lebanese, and soldiers of Fawzi Al Qawuqji will break the Israeli bolt, thus restoring the passage towards Galileo”.
Central face (Samarie)
The troops transjordaniennes concentrated especially around Jerusalem, or take place of hard combat, and in Samarie power station (with the variation of the frontline), to take the political control of the zone (prelude to the annexation). The Iraqi troops are spread in the Arab cities of the north of Samarie: Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarem. The Iraqi troops withdraw Lake Tibériade on May 24th to come to reinforce the units of Samarie. “on May 25th, the Iraqis descend towards Natanya, encircling several Kibboutz im, and by charming one. But Alexandroni recovers the colony and dams up the opening, thus preparing the ground for the counter-offensive of which Givati takes care. Entry in the triangle by North, on May 29th, the brigade collects a series of Arab villages and fortification from where it street, on Jénin. But she abdicates, on June 4th, so much the Iraqi artillery decimates the units claimed elsewhere”. After this date, and until June 11th, the involved forces are in practice especially in defensive position.
So Arab forces mass against Israel after May 15th, the Arab Army of release (WENT) is withdrawn. It was primarily based in Samarie (northern of the West Bank), since January 1948, with a HQ established between Nablus and Ramallah (Yoav Gelber (2006)). Following the entry in the West Bank of the troops transjordaniennes and Iraqi, SUITED it leaves Palestine on order of the Arab League, officially to reorganize.
While the Iraqis raised the Legion in Samarie, SUITED it replaced the Iraqis with Samakh and Gesher (kibbutzes in the south of the Lake Tibériade), about on May 24th.
Southern face (Negev)
In the south, the Egyptian army meets a weak opposition. It is spread in three directions.The second brigade of the general Muhammad Naguib goes up easily along the coast through the current Gaza Strip, until - above of Ashdod, before being stopped at the end of May by the common stopping of the Givati brigade, the HaNeguev brigade (or Negev) and of aviation.
In North-Negev, the Jewish colonies resist. The Egyptians move between them, isolate them partially, but do not submerge them. North-Negev is Egyptian, but in a partial way.
In Judaea, the fourth brigade of the Egyptian army gives an opinion between Beersheba and the south of Jerusalem, in particular with Hebron. The absence of Jewish communities in this zone makes the deployment easy.
Coastal plain
Operation Namal
The creation of Tsahal
May 26th, 1948, Tsahal (the Israeli army) is officially creates, and absorbs the Haganah immediately.Menahem Begin “took on June 1st, 1948 to place its men and its equipment at the disposal of the Israeli army within which the members of the IZL will constitute their own battalions” ( Histoire of the right-hand side Israelis , P.246, Voire Bibliographie). Lehi joined Tsahal also quickly.
The Irgoun and the Lehi align respectively only 4.000 and 1.000 combatants, who more is held in suspicion by the new government of David Ben Gourion for their “terrorist” activities passed and their political sympathies. The new Israeli army is thus primarily made up around old the Haganah.
The Irgoun and the Lehi will continue to exist until September with Jerusalem, city envisaged by UNO to be separate of Israel and to become a “international zone”. The national agreements of integration of these organizations with Tsahal thus do not apply to it.
Synthesis
Between on May 15th and on June 11th, the Jewish troops succeed in maintaining their control on the territories between their hands before May 15th, but to extend them not yet in an important way.Les Israéliens constituted a true army, and reinforced their armament, in particular their heavy armament. Contrary to the Arab forces, they have a centralized command and can make pass from the troops of an end of the face to the other.
La chart of the positions at June 11th gives an Arab show of force and Israeli weakness, but this impression will be contradicted after the rupture of the truce, on July 8th, 1948.
See the French current events of the 6/3/1948 on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader).
First truce (June 11th, 1948 - July 8th, 1948)
The May 29th, the United Nations declare a truce. This one is accepted by the Israelis on May 24th. The Arab states, whose projection is blocked, accept it the June 11th. The Arab forces control surroundings then one the third of the territory which UNO had allotted at the Jewish state in November 1947, and near total of the territory allotted at the Palestinian state.
See the French Current events of the 6/24/1948 on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader).
The truce will last 28 days. The cease-fire is supervised by the mediator of UNO Folke Bernadotte, named on May 20th. An embargo on the armament is decided by UNO so that none the parts benefits from the truce. King de Transjordanie visits the part of Jerusalem controlled by his troops.
See the French Current events of the 6/24/1948 on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader).
Embargo
But the Israelis have clandestine sources of supply since 1947 near the Eastern bloc, and thanks to them will be able to get illegally (from the point of view of UNO) of the weapons near the Czechoslovakia, but to also make some come from France. Among them, heavy weapons: “of the planes, the pieces of artillery and the armored vehicles. The intensive mobilization carries manpower of the army to 60.000 men”.
The Arab forces, they, are dependant on their official suppliers (British, especially) and cannot thus circumvent the embargo. This one thus appears primarily favorable to the Israelis, who reinforce their military potential, while that of the Arab armies stagnates.
If the truce makes it possible Tsahal to be armed, it also makes it possible Ben Gourion to reorganize it. Between on June 11th and on July 8th, 1948, the Prime Minister indeed decides to dissolve the 3 brigades of the Palmach (forces of elites of the Haganah), which he considers being too on the left (close to the Mapam).
From dimensioned sound, Irgoun had obtained after June 1st to preserve specific units within the Israeli army. But the government, and especially David Ben Gourion, did not wish more to allow units “of right-hand side” that “of left” to continue to exist within the army. These units will be also dissolved during the truce, after the incident of the Altalena, June 21st and 22nd. “The shortly after on June 22nd, Irgoun virtually ceased existing like autonomous military force except in Jerusalem. Its battalions were dissolved in the army and of the warrants for arrest were launched against several of its chiefs” ( Histoire Israeli line P.249, Voire Bibliographie). The members of the dissolved units are divided in the other units of Tsahal.
With the dissolution of the units close to the extreme left and those favorable to the right-hand side, Ben Gourion ensures the full authority of the civil government on the new army. “Unified, disciplined, suitably armed and involved, Tsahal becomes a frightening deterrent force” of 60 000 combatants.
Resumption of the hostilities
At the end of the truce, Folke Bernadotte presents a new plan of division granting the Galileo to the Jews, and the Negev with the Arabs. The plan is rejected by the two parts. The July 8th, the Egyptian forces take again the combat in the south and start again the war.
The 10 day old countryside (July 8th, 1948 - July 18th, 1948)
After the first Egyptian attacks, the ten days between the two truces are dominated by a wave of attacks of the Israelis and a defensive attitude of the Arabs. The three Israeli offensives which take place were prepared during the first truce. The the operation Dani, most important, aims to make safe and widen the Israeli corridor between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv by capturing the cities stages Ramle and Lydda (fame later Lod).
The second offensive, the operation Dekel, aims at the capture of Galileo, including the Arab city of Nazareth.
Finally the operation Kedem, which is seen allotting less resources, aims at making safe the old workings of Jerusalem.
Dani operation
See also: Operation Larlar, Operation Dani, Battle of Latroun (1948)
Lydda is protected mainly by the army transjordanienne, but also has of Palestinian militia and the Arab Army of Release. The city is attacked in north via Majdal Al-Sadiq and Al-Muzayri' has and in the east by Khulda, Al-Qubab, Jimzu and Danyal. For the first time in the conflict, of the bombers are used in the attack of the city. The July 11th 1948, the city is with the hands of the Israelis.
Ramle is captured the next day, the July 12th 1948.
The 15 and July 16th, a first attack against Latroun fail. The July 18th, the Brigade Yiftach conducts one second attack despaired with armed vehicles (whose two tanks Cromwell) but leads again to an Israeli failure. In spite of the second truce taking effect on July 18th, the Israeli forces continue their attacks against Latroun until the July 20th.
Once Ramle and Lydda captured, the inhabitants surprise the Israeli leaders by not fleeing the city. Considering that they cannot be allowed to leave a so important enemy population there, the Israeli armed forces expel 60.000 inhabitants of their hearths starting from the July 14th.
Dekel operation
While the Dani operation takes seat in the center of the country, the Dekel operation is led to north. Nazareth is captured the July 16th. July 18th with 19:00, whereas the second truce is declared, Israel captures the south of Galileo, of bay of Haïfa to the Lac Kinneret.
The operation is directed by Ben Dunkelman, a Canadian Jew, veteran of the Second world war which took the command of the 7th brigade at the time of its arrival in Israel. It is supported by the 13th battalion of the Golani brigade, under the orders of Avraham Yaffe. (- en.wikipedia.org)
Kedem operation
The Kedem operation aimed at taking all the town of Jerusalem, and especially the old city.
Envisaged initially to be carried out by Irgoun and Lehi on July 8th, just after the first truce, the Kedem operation is deferred by David Shaltiel. Indeed this one questions their chances of success following the failure of the capture of Deir Yassin without the assistance of Haganah.
The plan is envisaged as follows: the forces of Irgoun, ordered by Yehouda Lapidot (Nimrod), must enter by the door Bab Al Jedid , Lehi passing by the wall on the basis of Bab Al Jedid and by the door of Jaffa , finally the battalion Beit Hiron passing by the Mont Sion.
The battle is designed to begin with the Chabbat, on Friday, July 16 with 20:00, one day before the second cease-fire. However the organization turns badly and the operation is deferred to 23:00 then at midnight, for in the final analysis starting with 2:30 of the morning. Irgoun succeeds in cutting through a path by the door Bab Al Jedid but the other sections fail in their objectives. With 5:45, David Shaltiel is constrained to order the suspension of the hostilities and to fold up his troops.
Second truce (July 18th, 1948 - October 15th, 1948)
The “July 15th, the Safety advice condemns in terms of a great severity the Arab aggression, orders an immediate cease-fire and threatens to apply to the recalcitrant part the sanctions envisaged by article VII of the charter of the United Nations”. On the ground, the military defeats accumulate for the Arab part: “this time, the Arabs take the exact measurement of their failure, just as the British who, thrown into a panic, has a presentiment of with the truce. Manpower on July 17th in Jerusalem” (only Israeli failure - NDLA) “the cease-fire is wide as of the following day with the worldwide. Seen with dimensions Jew of the barricade, the " war of the Ten Jours" , as the July campaign was called, is one big hit”.
The September 16th, Folke Bernadotte proposes a new plan of division of Palestine in which Transjordanie would annex the Arab zones including/understanding Negev, Ramle and Lydda. This plan also envisages a Jewish state occupying whole Galileo, the passage of Jerusalem under international control and the repatriation (or compensation) of the refugees. Again the plan is refused by the two parts.
The following day, September 17th, Bernadotte is assassinated by Lehi and is replaced by the American deputy Ralph Bunche. It is known today that “the murder was planned by Zettler, the commander of the section of Jerusalem (the last in the hardest activity and), that it was decided with the more high level by the three persons in charge of the center ”: Nathan Yalin Mor, Yitzhak Shamir and Israel Eldad, and that the execution was entrusted by it to a veteran of Lehi, Yéhochua Cohen. In 24 hours, more than 250 members of Lehi are challenged in all the country. The government benefits from it to dissolve the units of the IZL in Jerusalem, although it knows that they were not frays with the crime. Two days later “Lehi is officially dissolves under a law " for the prevention of the terrorisme" ” ( History Israeli line , P.253). The company of integration of Lehi and Irgoun with Tsahal, largely started during the first truce, is thus completed with the second. “Zettler will affirm to have received an explicit promise of the Minister of Interior Department Yitzhak Günbaum: " you will be condemned to satisfy the world opinion. After which you will be amnistiés" ”. In fact, Yalin Mor and its assistant, condemned on February 2nd, 1949 to several years of prison, not for murder but for membership of an terrorist organization, will be slackened two weeks after all the other prisoners of Lehi will profit from a general amnesty ( Histoire Israeli line , P.254).
See the French Current events of the 9/23/1948 on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader) and.
During this second truce, the Israelis clean the still populated captured villages and of many dwellings are dynamited for military reasons. They also set up the preparations of the Opération Avak.
Accomplished facts: (October 15th, 1948 - July 20th, 1949)
This period sees closing the conflict, and consolidating the territorial influence of Israel and Transjordanie.
The Yoav operation on North Negev (15 October 22nd, 1948)
Benefitting from an Egyptian attack on a convoy of Israeli supply sent towards the encircled colonies of North-Negev, the Israelis launch an offensive against the Egyptians. From October 15th to 22nd 1948, three brigades of infantry (Negev, Yiftach and Givati) and the 8th armor-plated brigade - assisted of a strongly concentrated artillery, support of the totality of the small marine and a solid aerial cover offered by the totality of the new air force - is inserted in Negev. The brigades Harel and Oded will reinforce the southern face in the course of opération, . Ygal Allon order the operation, originally called “Ten wounds”, then renamed Yoav.Israeli aviation “seriously damages the Egyptian aircraft posed on the aerodrome of El Arish”.
Egyptian resistance, approximately 11.000 men is vigorous, and several companies of Tsahal “are even étrillées”.
Part of North-Negev falls nevertheless between the hands from Tsahal, and its capital, Beersheba itself, is captured in a surprised operation on October 21st. “The flagship of the Egyptian fleet, the Emir Farouk , cast with 700 men, the 4th brigade of the general Taha Bey - three miles combatants of elite - encircled in the pocket of Falouja. The reaction of combined of Egypt is characteristic: instead of opening a second face, the Legion of king Abdallah makes movement towards Bethlehem and Hebron to fill the vacuum left by the Egyptians”. If Israel widens its territory, Transjordanie does as much of it. Hitherto, it held Samarie (Northern of the West Bank). Thanks to the Israeli offensive, it holds now also Judaea (southern of the West Bank).
October 22nd, a new cease-fire is imposed to the belligerents, and especially to the Israelis, who wished to push their advantage. Yitzhak Rabin will write: “We led face the fight against the Egyptians and a race against the clock vis-a-vis to a truce suggested by the United Nations”. This reserve to stop a victorious offensive explains “during the truce, the successive attacks of the Hebrew soldiers, who drive back the Egyptians gradually. Mid-November, only still are obstinated, prisoners in the bow net of Falouja, 2.000 to 3.000 officers and soldiers of Cairo”.
See the current events cinema on the site of the INA (requires a QuickTime reader) .
The Hiram operation as a Galileo (29- October 31st, 1948)
See also: Operation Hiram
From October 28th to 31st 1948, the Opération Hiram is carried out by 4 Israeli brigades: Golani, Carmeli, Sheva and Oded.
It drives out the 2000 men of the Arab Army of release towards the Lebanon, and thus completes the conquest of all the North of old the Palestine agent.
The Israélienne army passes even from the other with dimensions of the border with the Lebanon, to continue the runaways, and thus progresses to the Litani river, before being withdrawn and leaving Lebanon.
The Horev operation and the conquest of North Negev (December 22nd - January 7th, 1949)
“In Negev, the Horev operation starts on December 22nd, following various Egyptian violations of the cease-fire. (…) Aviation is given fully, carrying out 243 exits and spreading 226 tons of bombs. Not only the Jewish soldiers strike ultimate Egyptian defenses and reduce the pocket of Falouja, but they also penetrate in the current Gaza Strip. Diversion, with an aim of hiding, more with the South, the entry of the Israeli troops in the Egyptian Sinai through Al Auja, fallen 27. Violating the border, they will press the tracks of the airport of El Arish, when the diplomatic, ceaseless pressures since the beginning of the operation, are done insupportable”.
London threatens in particular to intervene militarily, under its treaty of defense with Egypt.
“The Jewish army thus evacuates the Sinai, cutting down with the passage 5 reconnaissance aircraft English”.
All the north of Negev is now Israeli, except the Egyptian pocket of Falouja, which resisted vigorously, inflicting severe losses with Tsahal. The Egyptians will evacuate it on February 24th, 1949, after the armistice israélo-Egyptian.
The Ouvda operation and the catch of central and southernmost Negev (March 1949)
Western North-Negev had passed under Israeli control complete in January 1949. The desert itself (North-western, Center and South of Negev), almost without population, had remained No man' S Land, with some rare troops transjordaniennes.The zone was mainly allotted to Israel by the plan of division of 1947. But during several months, Israel abstained from penetrating there, even after the victory over the Egyptians, at the beginning of January 1949. The zone did not have priority, and the engagement of Tsahal in an area all in length, wedged between the Egyptian armies and transjordaniennes, was not without risk.
February 24th, Israel signs a cease-fire with Egypt which neutralizes the Egyptian army.
After having tried to obtain without success of Transjordaniens which they withdraw from themselves, Israel decided to occupy the zone, and launched on March 5th the operation Ouvda, or Uvda (“made accomplished”), with the brigades Golani and Negev. Transjordaniens will be withdrawn then without fighting.
The two highest elevations of Ouvda were the catch of Ein Guedi, on western banks of the Dead Sea, on March 7th, 1949, opposite Transjordanie (North-western of Negev), and the catch of Um Rashrash on May 10th, on the Red Sea, where as from 1950 the port of Eilat will be built (extreme-South of Negev).
With this last operation, the desert became Israeli, and Israel finished tracing the borders which will be them his until 1967.
Synthesis and conclusions
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