The outcome of Operation "Markolet" ('Night of the Bridges')
The 'Night of the Bridges' (operation "Markolet") executed by the Palmach on the night of the 16th to the 17th of June 1946, marked the peak of the Jewish Resistance Movement's operations. The operation objectives were fully achieved.
The 'Night of the Bridges' (operation "Markolet") executed by the Palmach on the night of the 16th to the 17th of June 1946, marked the peak of the Jewish Resistance Movement's operations. In nine raids executed by forces from the four Palmach battalions, ten out of the eleven attacked bridges were 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) and two bridges that 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.
The operation objectives were fully achieved. First and foremost, the Hagana's military ability with the Palmach as its military extension was demonstrated – hitting a few heavy strategic targets at the same time. The country was temporarily cut off from its Arab neighbors. The Syrian, Lebanese and Trans-Jordanian governments put their armies on standby and reinforced their borders. The British army's on-going activities and maneuvers were disrupted. The British Mandate suffered a financial loss of a quarter million sterling, and mainly damage to its prestige. The Jewish Yishuv took pride in its military force, and the operation earned great coverage in the international media.
The operation objectives were fully achieved. First and foremost, the Hagana's military ability with the Palmach as its military extension was demonstrated – hitting a few heavy strategic targets at the same time. The country was temporarily cut off from its Arab neighbors. The Syrian, Lebanese and Trans-Jordanian governments put their armies on standby and reinforced their borders. The British army's on-going activities and maneuvers were disrupted. The British Mandate suffered a financial loss of a quarter million sterling, and mainly damage to its prestige. The Jewish Yishuv took pride in its military force, and the operation earned great coverage in the international media.