Operation Hametz
Encyclopedia
Operation Hametz was a Jewish operation towards the end of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was launched at the end of April 1948 with the objective of capturing villages inland from Jaffa
and establishing a blockade around the town.
from Jaffa. In the ensuing 5 months, while the British officially maintained the Mandate, these attacks led to the deaths of over 1,000 inhabitants of Tel Aviv. During the same time, 30,000 people left Jaffa, leaving a population of between 50,000 and 60,000. On the morning of 25 April 1948 the Irgun
(a Jewish paramilitary group) launched a full scale attack on Jaffa from Tel Aviv. Israeli historians maintain that the Haganah
(another Jewish paramilitary group from which the Irgun had split off) had no prior warning of the attack but soon after its start the Haganah and the Irgun came to an agreement whereby the Irgun troops would be under the command of local Haganah commanders. The Irgun offensive included a continuous three day mortar bombardment of the town centre. The attack was ended by the intervention of the British who moved 4,500 troops into the town. The fighting ended on 30 April.
and by the Givati Brigade
from the south. They met little or no resistance. The Kiryati Brigade failed in its assault on the southern Jaffa suburb of Tel al-Rish.
. They were allowing people to leave the town but subject to searches for weapons. The British army was escorting civilians to Lydda
and al-Ramle. David Ben-Gurion
recorded in his diary that when he visited Salama on the evening of 30 April all he found was 'only one old blind woman.' Most of the villages were systematically levelled in the following weeks.
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
and establishing a blockade around the town.
Background
Within 24 hours of the approval of the UN Partition Plan on November 19, 1947 Arab irregular fighters began shooting into Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
from Jaffa. In the ensuing 5 months, while the British officially maintained the Mandate, these attacks led to the deaths of over 1,000 inhabitants of Tel Aviv. During the same time, 30,000 people left Jaffa, leaving a population of between 50,000 and 60,000. On the morning of 25 April 1948 the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
(a Jewish paramilitary group) launched a full scale attack on Jaffa from Tel Aviv. Israeli historians maintain that the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
(another Jewish paramilitary group from which the Irgun had split off) had no prior warning of the attack but soon after its start the Haganah and the Irgun came to an agreement whereby the Irgun troops would be under the command of local Haganah commanders. The Irgun offensive included a continuous three day mortar bombardment of the town centre. The attack was ended by the intervention of the British who moved 4,500 troops into the town. The fighting ended on 30 April.
The operation
The operation involved attacks from the north by the Alexandroni BrigadeAlexandroni Brigade
The Alexandroni Brigade is an Israel Defense Forces brigade that fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Along with the 7th Armoured Brigade both units had 139 killed during the first battle of Latrun - Operation Ben Nun Alef .The unit is currently a reserve unit.-Katz controversy:In 1998, Teddy Katz...
and by the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
from the south. They met little or no resistance. The Kiryati Brigade failed in its assault on the southern Jaffa suburb of Tel al-Rish.
Aftermath
By 30 April there were about 15,000 to 25,000 people left in Jaffa. The Haganah had complete control of all access into and out of the town, with the exception of a British army 'presence' at YazurYazur
Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century....
. They were allowing people to leave the town but subject to searches for weapons. The British army was escorting civilians to Lydda
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
and al-Ramle. David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
recorded in his diary that when he visited Salama on the evening of 30 April all he found was 'only one old blind woman.' Most of the villages were systematically levelled in the following weeks.
Arab communities captured during Operation Hametz
| Name | Date | Defending forces | Brigade | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saqiya Saqiya Saqiya was a village in Palestine away from Jaffa, depopulated in 1948.-Location:The village was located east of Jaffa, above sea level, on uneven land in the central coastal plain... |
25 April 1948 | 'without a fight' | Alexandroni Brigade | 1,100 |
| Kafr 'Ana Kafr 'Ana Kafr 'Ana was a Palestinian town located east of Jaffa. In 1945, the town had an estimated population of 2,800 Arabs and 220 Jews. Captured by the pre-state Israeli forces of the Alexandroni Brigade prior to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, it was depopulated.-History:The Canaanites... |
29 April 1948 | n/a | Alexandroni Brigade | 3,020 inc. 220 Jews |
| al-Khayriyya Al-Khayriyya Al-Khayriyya was a Palestinian village located 7.5 kilometers east of Jaffa. Its inhabitants fled as a result of a military assault by the Alexandroni Brigade of the pre-state Israeli forces in the lead up to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-History:... |
29 April 1948 | n/a | Alexandroni Brigade | 1,420 |
| Salama, Jaffa | 29 April 1948 | n/a | Alexandroni Brigade Kiryati & Giv'ati Brigades |
6,730 |
| Yazur Yazur Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century.... |
30 April 1948 | Arab Liberation Army withdrew 28 April |
Giv'ati Brigade | 4,030 |
| Bayt Dajan Bayt Dajan Bayt Dajan was a Palestinian Arab village situated approximately southeast of Jaffa. It is thought to have been the site of the biblical town of Beth Dagon, mentioned in the Book of Joshua and in ancient Assyrian and Egyptian texts.... |
n/a | n/a | Alexandroni Brigade | 3,840 |
| Al-Safiriyya Al-Safiriyya Al-Safiriyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jaffa. It was depopulated during Operation Hametz in the 1948 War on May 20, 1948. It was located 11 km east of Jaffa. al-Safiriyya was known to the Byzantines and Crusaders as Sapharea or Saphyria.In 1945 it had a population of... |
n/a | n/a | Alexandroni Brigade | 3,070 |
| Al-'Abbasiyya Al-'Abbasiyya Al-'Abbasiyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jaffa. It was attacked under Operation Hametz during the 1948 Palestine War, and finally depopulated under Operation Dani. It was located 13 km east of Jaffa... |
4 May 1948 recaptured 11 June finally taken during Operation Dani |
n/a | Irgun | 5,650 inc. 150 Jews |