Major features of the operation
Once the objectives were achieved, the “Harel” brigade was moved up to Jerusalem, to take part in “Operation Yevusi”.
On the night of 15.4.48 a unit of the Fifth Battalion made an abortive attack on Saris. The following night they succeeded in capturing the village.
On 17.4.48. at daybreak, a convoy of more than 130 vehicles set out from Tel Aviv, reaching Jerusalem around noon. It unloaded and left towards evening for Tel Aviv.
All attempts to take the village of Tsuba had hitherto failed. In the small hours of 18.4, the Fourth Battalion attacked Tsuba. The fighters climbed the hill to the foot of the fortress, where the rocks formed a natural barrier about three meters high. A withering fire from the defenders kept them from scaling the wall.
Amos Horeb, the battalion’s second-in-command, who was leading the attack, reckoned that it could not succeed before daybreak, and gave the order to withdraw.
Before dawn on 19.4 the battalion attacked again. It had been found that a path from the east reached the village on the south side, where there was no wall. It was decided to use armored vehicles to silence the fire of the defenders, while the Palmach men would storm the village on the side which had no wall. The armored vehicles left the Qastel, and on the way encountered roadblocks which had been put up by the Arabs. Moving these took a long time; once again, Horev decided that there was not enough time left before daybreak for the attack to be carried out. Once again, the order was to withdraw.
On the night of 19.4 the battalion also carried out attacks on the villages of Qubab and Beit Jiz.
On 19.4.48 a giant convoy set out for Jerusalem. It consisted of more than 300 vehicles, carrying about 1000 tons. The journey took three hours: the trucks unloaded and returned on the same day to the plain.
On the night of 20.4.48 no. 4 brigade captured the villages of Bidu and Beit Suri, north of the road between Qastel and Kiryat Anavim.
The regiment’s plan of attack set the following objectives: one assault company would move from the Qastel and occupy the village. A reserve company would set out from Ma’aleh Hahamisha, pass alongside the radar, and occupy the hill which overlooked Beit Suri from the west. A second reserve company would leave Ma’aleh Hahamisha for Bidu. The roads leading to Bidu would be blocked to prevent reinforcements from reaching the village. The regimental command would be stationed on the radar hill.
When the forces were on the move, the assault company was delayed. Tabenkin ordered the reserve company of Haim Poznansky (“Poza”), which was already in place south of the village, to to carry out the assault on the village. The large village was captured almost without resistance, and the commander arrayed his forces for the attack on Bidu. The force which arrived from Qastel was ordered to blow up the houses of Beit Suri, while Uri Ben-Ari, commanding the second reserve company, was to take Bidu, with “Poza”s company acting as reserve. Bidu also fell almost without resistance. A relieving force sent from Ramalla reached the roadblocks set up by Mordechai Ben-Porat, went over mines, and was halted.
In the wake of this operation, a convoy of 250 vehicles (the “Harel” convoy) reached Jerusalem.
The Abu-Ghosh police station was captured on 21.4.48. The operation ended with the transfer of the “Harel” brigade to Jerusalem, to take part in “Operation Yevusi”.
In this operation 19 were killed: 13 from the “Harel” brigade, five from no. 6 brigade, and one from no. 5 brigade. There were 46 wounded. Palmach fighters killed were: Maccabi Mutzari; Ya’aqov Stotzki; Yosef Simbol; Yitzhak Singer; Yisrael Schwartz; Ya’aqov Becher; Moshe Gershowitz; Zadok Gol; Yosef Manin; Zohar Meyer; Rehavia Berman; and Yehoshua Rabinovitz.
On 17.4.48. at daybreak, a convoy of more than 130 vehicles set out from Tel Aviv, reaching Jerusalem around noon. It unloaded and left towards evening for Tel Aviv.
All attempts to take the village of Tsuba had hitherto failed. In the small hours of 18.4, the Fourth Battalion attacked Tsuba. The fighters climbed the hill to the foot of the fortress, where the rocks formed a natural barrier about three meters high. A withering fire from the defenders kept them from scaling the wall.
Amos Horeb, the battalion’s second-in-command, who was leading the attack, reckoned that it could not succeed before daybreak, and gave the order to withdraw.
Before dawn on 19.4 the battalion attacked again. It had been found that a path from the east reached the village on the south side, where there was no wall. It was decided to use armored vehicles to silence the fire of the defenders, while the Palmach men would storm the village on the side which had no wall. The armored vehicles left the Qastel, and on the way encountered roadblocks which had been put up by the Arabs. Moving these took a long time; once again, Horev decided that there was not enough time left before daybreak for the attack to be carried out. Once again, the order was to withdraw.
On the night of 19.4 the battalion also carried out attacks on the villages of Qubab and Beit Jiz.
On 19.4.48 a giant convoy set out for Jerusalem. It consisted of more than 300 vehicles, carrying about 1000 tons. The journey took three hours: the trucks unloaded and returned on the same day to the plain.
On the night of 20.4.48 no. 4 brigade captured the villages of Bidu and Beit Suri, north of the road between Qastel and Kiryat Anavim.
The regiment’s plan of attack set the following objectives: one assault company would move from the Qastel and occupy the village. A reserve company would set out from Ma’aleh Hahamisha, pass alongside the radar, and occupy the hill which overlooked Beit Suri from the west. A second reserve company would leave Ma’aleh Hahamisha for Bidu. The roads leading to Bidu would be blocked to prevent reinforcements from reaching the village. The regimental command would be stationed on the radar hill.
When the forces were on the move, the assault company was delayed. Tabenkin ordered the reserve company of Haim Poznansky (“Poza”), which was already in place south of the village, to to carry out the assault on the village. The large village was captured almost without resistance, and the commander arrayed his forces for the attack on Bidu. The force which arrived from Qastel was ordered to blow up the houses of Beit Suri, while Uri Ben-Ari, commanding the second reserve company, was to take Bidu, with “Poza”s company acting as reserve. Bidu also fell almost without resistance. A relieving force sent from Ramalla reached the roadblocks set up by Mordechai Ben-Porat, went over mines, and was halted.
In the wake of this operation, a convoy of 250 vehicles (the “Harel” convoy) reached Jerusalem.
The Abu-Ghosh police station was captured on 21.4.48. The operation ended with the transfer of the “Harel” brigade to Jerusalem, to take part in “Operation Yevusi”.
In this operation 19 were killed: 13 from the “Harel” brigade, five from no. 6 brigade, and one from no. 5 brigade. There were 46 wounded. Palmach fighters killed were: Maccabi Mutzari; Ya’aqov Stotzki; Yosef Simbol; Yitzhak Singer; Yisrael Schwartz; Ya’aqov Becher; Moshe Gershowitz; Zadok Gol; Yosef Manin; Zohar Meyer; Rehavia Berman; and Yehoshua Rabinovitz.