Operation "Markolet" ('Night of the Bridges')
On the night of the 16th to the 17th of June 1946, the Palmach sabotaged the bridges connecting Israel with its neighboring countries – the largest most comprehensive of all the Jewish Resistance Movement's operations. The code name for the operation: Operation "Markolet" ('Night of the Bridges').
On the night of the 16th to the 17th of June 1946, the Palmach sabotaged the bridges connecting Israel with its neighboring countries – the largest most comprehensive of all the Jewish Resistance Movement's operations. The code name for the operation: Operation "Markolet" ('Night of the Bridges')
In nine raids of operation "Markolet", ten out of the eleven attacked bridges were destroyed or badly sabotaged. In three of the raids, the forces were spotted and the explosives were laid under fire (Akhziv, Allenby and Gaza bridges.) In four of the raids the operation was executed discretely (North-west Metulla, Sheikh Hussein, Benot Ya'aqov and Damiya bridges.) Two bridges were unguarded (North-east Metulla and Yarmuk bridges.) Only one out of all operations failed – at the Nahal Akhziv bridges. The Palmach suffered 14 casualties and -5 injuries in this operation. There were no injuries in the other operations.
Parallel to the bridge bombings, some 50 diversion operations and ambushes took place that same night throughout the country. The diversion tactics were meant to ground and confuse the British forces as to the main military targets of the operation, and easily "blend in" the Palmach warriors among the civilian population after the bridges exploded. The 'Night of the Bridges' was executed by hundreds of Palmach warriors from four different battalions.
As part of the Jewish Resistance Movement's response to the British policy, a Lechi force raided the railway factories in Haifa the following night. Following these attacks, the British held comprehensive searches in the Jewish settlements nearby the operations' locations. A few days later, on June 29th, 1946, the large penal operation "Agatha" launched ("Black Sabbath.") The operation was aimed at capturing Palmach warriors, imprisoning the senior commandership of the Hagana, and arresting the leaders of the Jewish institutions. Following the "Black Sabbath," the Jewish Resistance's operations were suspended, and so the 'Night of the Bridges' became the last military operation of the Hagana under that framework.
In nine raids of operation "Markolet", ten out of the eleven attacked bridges were destroyed or badly sabotaged. In three of the raids, the forces were spotted and the explosives were laid under fire (Akhziv, Allenby and Gaza bridges.) In four of the raids the operation was executed discretely (North-west Metulla, Sheikh Hussein, Benot Ya'aqov and Damiya bridges.) Two bridges were unguarded (North-east Metulla and Yarmuk bridges.) Only one out of all operations failed – at the Nahal Akhziv bridges. The Palmach suffered 14 casualties and -5 injuries in this operation. There were no injuries in the other operations.
Parallel to the bridge bombings, some 50 diversion operations and ambushes took place that same night throughout the country. The diversion tactics were meant to ground and confuse the British forces as to the main military targets of the operation, and easily "blend in" the Palmach warriors among the civilian population after the bridges exploded. The 'Night of the Bridges' was executed by hundreds of Palmach warriors from four different battalions.
As part of the Jewish Resistance Movement's response to the British policy, a Lechi force raided the railway factories in Haifa the following night. Following these attacks, the British held comprehensive searches in the Jewish settlements nearby the operations' locations. A few days later, on June 29th, 1946, the large penal operation "Agatha" launched ("Black Sabbath.") The operation was aimed at capturing Palmach warriors, imprisoning the senior commandership of the Hagana, and arresting the leaders of the Jewish institutions. Following the "Black Sabbath," the Jewish Resistance's operations were suspended, and so the 'Night of the Bridges' became the last military operation of the Hagana under that framework.