Battle of Nitzanim
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Nitzanim was a battle fought between the Israel Defense Forces
and the Egyptian Army
in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, on June 7, 1948 (29 Iyar, 5708 in the Hebrew calendar). It was the first major Egyptian victory of the war, and one of the few cases of Israeli surrender.
The battle began on the night of June 6–7 with an artillery bombardment of Nitzanim
, followed by an aerial bombardment and armored and infantry attacks. The main attack broke through the Israeli defenses at around 11:00; the Israelis retreated to a second position, and finally to a third position at 14:00. At 16:00, 105 Israelis surrendered to the Egyptian Army. Between June 7 and 10, the Battle of Hill 69 was fought nearby. The hill was captured by the Egyptians after a disorganized Israeli retreat.
Israelis viewed the surrender of Nitzanim as a humiliation, especially after the Givati Brigade
published a leaflet denouncing the defenders. The residents of Nitzanim demanded a probe into the battle, and one was conducted by the General Staff, siding with the residents and coming to the conclusion that surrender was justified.
Nitzanim
, founded in 1943, was an isolated Israeli village on the coastal plain
, enclosed by the Arab localities of Isdud in the north, Majdal
in the south, and Julis and Beit Daras
in the east. It was meant to be part of the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. As such, Nitzanim was isolated after December 31, 1947. It was attacked many times in the first six months of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
by local irregulars. The Jewish defenders used old Italian World War I
rifles and managed to repel the attacks. In March 1948, Haganah
forces from the headquarters in Be'er Tuvia
broke through to the village, but on the way back were ambushed and the Haganah commander of Nitzanim, Shlomo Rubinstein, was killed in action. On March 26 and April 20, organized Arab attacks took place, and were repelled by the villagers. The Niztanim collective was located 700 meters west of the coastal road. It expanse, 800m long and 400m wide, did not allow for the formation of a second line of defense. The farmstead buildings were mostly built in a ravine surrounded by hills from all sides. To the north lied the "graveyard ridge", a convenient location for observations. Near it lay a wadi crater stretching west and allowing a convenient advance toward the farmstead from the north. To the east, the farmstead bordered a destroyed British camp, which allowed for an enemy advance right up to the farmstead fence. About two kilometers to the northeast was Hill 69, a position commanding the entire surrounding area.
At noon on May 29, an observation post near Nitzanim reported that an Egyptian column of about 150 vehicles had passed along the coastal road to the north. The post later reported that 500 vehicles, an entire brigade, had been counted. The observers were not trained in identifying military vehicles, and excitedly miscounted the vehicles passing. They exaggerated the numbers when they reported to the Givati Brigade. The Egyptian Army set up a position in Isdud between May 29 and June 1, for what Israelis presumed at the time to be thrust to capture Tel Aviv
. However, the Egyptian advance stopped at the Ad Halom
Bridge (over the Lakhish River to the north of Isdud), which had been destroyed by the Givati Brigade
on May 12. As they made logistical preparations to cross the river, the column was bombed and engaged in Operation Pleshet
(June 2–3). The Egyptians therefore shifted their focus to clearing their flanks, focusing on Nitzanim as some of the injured Israelis who participated in Pleshet were evacuated there. While the nearby village of Beit Daras had been under Israeli control since May 11, there was no continuity with Nitzanim, as Hill 69, which separated the two villages, was not occupied. The Givati Brigade
planned to capture the hill on the night of June 7–8, but did not anticipate the Egyptian attack on Nitzanim. The plan to capture the hill, however, was carried out on time.
leadership. It was argued that Israel's aim in the war was the continuation of normal life and that under the circumstances, it was impossible to draw a line between front and rear. It was also feared that combatants would follow the noncombatants and abandon the settlements. This position changed on May 15. Operation Tinok ("Baby") saw the evacuation of children from Nitzanim, Negba
, Gat, Gal-On and Kfar Menahem
by armored cars or by foot to places further north, where they were considered to be relatively safer. On the night of May 16–17, 35 children from Nitzanim were evacuated on foot to Be'er Tuvia
.
The Israeli defenders of Nitzanim consisted of two platoons from the Givati Brigade
's 53rd Battalion, one of which was made up of new recruits, for a total of 74 soldiers. The recruits had been brought in from the reserve 58th Battalion during Operation Pleshet
, in order to free up a more experience platoon from Nitzanim for the operation. There were also 67 local paramilitaries, ten of them women, for a total of 141 combatants. The force had seventy rifles, thirty submachine guns, four Bren light machine guns, a 4-inch mortar, one PIAT
and a few grenades. Nitzanim had three elevations: the highest was in the northeast, where water towers were built; in the center was the dining hall; and to the south was the "Palace"/"Mansion", an abandoned Arab house which was higher than its surroundings. The three elevations were surrounded by a ring of positions connected by a series of communication ditches. The local commander divided his force into fourteen positions, maintaining a reserve force for reinforcement of weak points and counterattacks in case the Egyptians broke through the position line.
on May 23, the Egyptian force, under the command of Major General
Ahmad Ali al-Mwawi went up along the coast and bypassed Nitzanim. After meeting with Israeli opposition near Ashdod, he decided to stop and consolidated his positions. Naguib was to dig in in Ashdod, another force was to attack Negba, while Mwawi himself would attack Nitzanim to eliminate its threat to his rear. The Egyptian Army set up its main position in the abandoned British military base just east of Nitzanim, with smaller positions in the Cemetery Hill to the northeast and the citrus grove in the south, thus surrounding the village. Mwawi took several days to carefully work out the attack. It was to be carried out in three phases: breakthrough and capture of the water tank hill, capture of the dining hall hill and capture of the "Palace". The Egyptian force consisted of the 9th Battalion, the 3rd Company of the 7th Battalion and a medium machine gun platoon. They were also joined by a tank platoon, an AFV
company, 18 pieces of field artillery
, 12 anti-tank guns, an anti-aircraft battery, and supported by combat aircraft.
from the Cemetery Hill using Bofors
cannons and 25-pounder
s, and at 06:00, a close-range bombardment using anti-tank guns. All of the prominent features in the village were destroyed. An additional mortar bombardment took place from a southeastern position, and a 6-pounder
shelling from the water tank hill in the south. Shortly after, an attack was attempted from the east, but it was repelled and the water tank hill remained under Israeli control.
At 08:00, the Egyptians began an aerial bombardment of the kibbutz
, which came in three waves and continued until 10:15, at which time shelling continued in the form of 25-pounder fire from Majdal
about 7 km away. At 11:00, the main thrust of infantry and four tanks commenced. The rest of the armored vehicles provided cover from the adjacent abandoned British base. The Israelis used the lone PIAT
in their possession against the tanks and forced them to retreat, although the PIAT broke down and the Egyptian 1st Company (9th Battalion) managed to infiltrate the water tank hill.
Position 1 was destroyed and buried its inhabitants, who were in a state of shock when evacuated from the rubble. The telephone system was cut down. A machine gun, aimed at the planes, was hit by a shell. Most of the Israelis' firearms got dirty from the dust, and one machine gun broke down. Since the beginning of the attack, the signal operator tried to contact the 53rd Battalion headquarters at Beer Tuvia. At 10:00, she managed to get an SOS through before losing contact completely. Near 11:00, four Egyptian tanks were ordered to break through into the farmstead, followed by infantry. The tanks advanced from the northeastern corner of the camp, and were met by two Israelis armed with PIATs. They managed to hit the track of one of the tanks on the second shot. The tanks halted, but the PIAT soon broke down and its operator suffered a head wound. The tanks retreated and continued to shell the Israeli position. The Egyptian infantry kept advancing, taking over positions 10, 11, 12, and capturing the water tanks area. The Egyptians reported victory. Twelve Israelis were killed by the tank shells.
The Egyptians then started the second phase of their plan—taking over the northwestern position and the dining hall area. The 4th Company of the 9th Battalion used a tank which broke through the farmstead fence at 12:30 opposite position 8, in the center of Nitzanim's northern fence, after killing six out of the seven Israelis manning the position and blinding the seventh. Schwarzstein, until then posted in the northeastern corner of the smaller orchard, moved to the dining hall and the nearby residence area, which were surrounded by embankments. He was hoping to form a second line and ordered the men from positions 5, 6, and 7 in the north to move to the dining hall area. There, he organized the reserve forces who retreated from the cowshed and the men from the northern positions for defense.
The Egyptians commenced heavy shelling of the dining hall, and by 14:00, the defenders decided to retreat to the "Palace" in the south for a last stand. At 15:00, a retreat of all forces southwards from the village was attempted, but was stalled by the 2nd Company of the 9th Battalion situated in the citrus groves, that forced the Israelis back to the "Palace". 2–4 Israelis managed to hide in the groves and escape to Be'er Tuvia
at night.
Throughout the battle, the Israeli forces tried to communicate with the rest of the army and request reinforcements, including three telegrams near the end of the battle, sent by the signal operator Miriam Ben-Ari. All attempts failed and reinforcements were not sent. The wounded commander, Avraham-Elkana Schwarzstein, carrying his bloodstained white shirt, and Ben-Ari, tried to negotiate with the Egyptians, but Schwarzstein was shot by an Egyptian officer. In response, Ben-Ari shot the one responsible and was killed on the spot. At 16:00 on June 7, 105 exhausted Israeli defenders, 26 of them injured, destroyed their remaining ammunition and equipment, and surrendered to the Egyptian forces. The Egyptians prevented their local auxiliaries from massacring all the prisoners, however, three or four of the defenders were killed after surrendering. Survivors were later "displayed" in a victory parade in Majdal, after which they were transferred to Cairo
. In all, 33 were killed in the battle—17 soldiers and 16 villagers (of them 3 women).
found that out only that evening. Despite the fall of Nitzanim, he decided to attack on the night of June 7–8, as planned. One company took Hill 69 and positions to threaten the Egyptian lines at Isdud and prepared to recapture Nitzanim. Meanwhile, another, unsuccessful, attack was carried out against Isdud. Hill 69 was considered tactically important as an obstacle on the road to Isdud in face of the imminent truce.
On the night of June 9–10, Givati's 52nd Battalion, guided by two of the escapees, attacked Nitzanim. Zero hour was postponed after the attacking force lost its way. At dawn, the leading platoon managed to break into Nitzanim from the south and capture the "Palace", but was ordered to withdraw after being hit by heavy Egyptian fire, having lost the cover of darkness. The Egyptian artillery pursued the withdrawing Israeli force until it reached Hill 69. The 52nd Battalion forces were evacuated by armored vehicles, and soon after, the Egyptians attacked the hill, which was held by a company from the 51st Battalion. The ditches collapsed completely and the positions were destroyed. The large force that was concentrated on the hill suffered heavy casualties. The Egyptian infantry attacked from the west, supported from close range by Bren Carrier
s and armored cars. The Israeli company broke, and was ordered to retreat, but the withdrawal was disorganized and cost more casualties. The last Israeli to remain on the hill was an artillery observer, who ordered his guns to bring down fire on his own position, before being killed. The total Israeli death toll on the hill and the retreat from it was 20. The Egyptians tried to continue towards Beit Daras
and Be'er Tuvia
, but met with heavy opposition. At nightfall, they withdrew.
s captured by Egypt during the entire war. According to the POWs, the Egyptian media covered the event widely, writing that 300 Jews were killed in Nitzanim, that it was a major submarine
base, and that much booty was captured, including oil and fuel. Yitzhak Pundak
, the battalion commander who was directly responsible for the village's defense, claims that actions could have been taken to save it, including transferring Napoleonchik
cannons to the site.
Following the capture of Hill 69, a major obstacle was removed for Egypt, which enabled it to attack Gal On
and capture Gezer
. When Givati finally reached Nitzanim after Operation Yoav
, they found the village abandoned and largely destroyed, as the Egyptians retreated south to Gaza
. The Israelis killed in action were buried in a mass grave in the village. The villagers who returned from captivity on March 7, 1949, as part of the 1949 Armistice Agreements
, rebuilt Nitzanim on a site a few kilometers south of the original. The Nitzanim Youth Village was built in 1949 on the site of the battle, and closed in 1990, where Nitzan
was founded later. The site was turned into a tourist attraction, featuring a visual presentation and various monuments, including the Women of Valor Center , a monument for all female warriors killed in action in Israel's wars, especially the three in Nitzanim: Miriam Ben-Ari, the intern paramedic Shulamit Dorczin, and the 18-year-old Deborah Epstein who died of her wounds in captivity.
, then the culture officer of the Givati Brigade, published a scathing leaflet denouncing the defenders. Nisan Reznik, who was one of the fighters in Nitzanim, and knew Kovner from before World War II
, claimed that the letter was a result of egoism. Part of the leaflet read:
As a result, Nitzanim's members demanded an investigation into the battle immediately after the war ended, claiming that Kovner significantly and unrightfully harmed their reputation. The investigation was headed by the Chief of Staff Ya'akov Dori, who sided with the defenders and wrote:
Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
also praised the defenders of Nitzanim. A thriller called Target - Tel Aviv by Ram Oren
was published in 2004, focusing on the battle and its aftermath.
, Benny Morris
takes the example of Nitzarim at two times to draw a comparison between Israeli and Arab attitudes during the war. He points out that:
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, on June 7, 1948 (29 Iyar, 5708 in the Hebrew calendar). It was the first major Egyptian victory of the war, and one of the few cases of Israeli surrender.
The battle began on the night of June 6–7 with an artillery bombardment of Nitzanim
Nitzanim
Nitzanim is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 343....
, followed by an aerial bombardment and armored and infantry attacks. The main attack broke through the Israeli defenses at around 11:00; the Israelis retreated to a second position, and finally to a third position at 14:00. At 16:00, 105 Israelis surrendered to the Egyptian Army. Between June 7 and 10, the Battle of Hill 69 was fought nearby. The hill was captured by the Egyptians after a disorganized Israeli retreat.
Israelis viewed the surrender of Nitzanim as a humiliation, especially after 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...
published a leaflet denouncing the defenders. The residents of Nitzanim demanded a probe into the battle, and one was conducted by the General Staff, siding with the residents and coming to the conclusion that surrender was justified.
Background
KibbutzKibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Nitzanim
Nitzanim
Nitzanim is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 343....
, founded in 1943, was an isolated Israeli village on the coastal plain
Israeli Coastal Plain
The Israeli coastal plain is the narrow coastal plain along Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast which houses 70% of the country's population. The plain extends north to south and is divided into a number of areas; the Plain of Zebulun , Hof HaCarmel , the Sharon plain , and the Plain of Judea The...
, enclosed by the Arab localities of Isdud in the north, Majdal
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
in the south, and Julis and Beit Daras
Beit Daras
Bayt Daras was a Palestinian Arab town located on the Lachish River, northeast of Gaza and approximately above sea level, which was depopulated in 1948.-History:...
in the east. It was meant to be part of the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. As such, Nitzanim was isolated after December 31, 1947. It was attacked many times in the first six months of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
The 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine lasted from 30 November 1947, the date of the United Nations vote in favour of the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the UN Partition Plan, to the termination of the British Mandate itself on 14 May 1948.This period constitutes the...
by local irregulars. The Jewish defenders used old Italian World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
rifles and managed to repel the attacks. In March 1948, 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 :...
forces from the headquarters in Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia is a moshav in the Southern District of Israel near the city of Kiryat Malakhi. It is affiliated with the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council....
broke through to the village, but on the way back were ambushed and the Haganah commander of Nitzanim, Shlomo Rubinstein, was killed in action. On March 26 and April 20, organized Arab attacks took place, and were repelled by the villagers. The Niztanim collective was located 700 meters west of the coastal road. It expanse, 800m long and 400m wide, did not allow for the formation of a second line of defense. The farmstead buildings were mostly built in a ravine surrounded by hills from all sides. To the north lied the "graveyard ridge", a convenient location for observations. Near it lay a wadi crater stretching west and allowing a convenient advance toward the farmstead from the north. To the east, the farmstead bordered a destroyed British camp, which allowed for an enemy advance right up to the farmstead fence. About two kilometers to the northeast was Hill 69, a position commanding the entire surrounding area.
At noon on May 29, an observation post near Nitzanim reported that an Egyptian column of about 150 vehicles had passed along the coastal road to the north. The post later reported that 500 vehicles, an entire brigade, had been counted. The observers were not trained in identifying military vehicles, and excitedly miscounted the vehicles passing. They exaggerated the numbers when they reported to the Givati Brigade. The Egyptian Army set up a position in Isdud between May 29 and June 1, for what Israelis presumed at the time to be thrust to capture Tel Aviv
Tel 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...
. However, the Egyptian advance stopped at the Ad Halom
Ad Halom
Ad Halom is a site at the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel.-Battle:Ad Halom refers to the northernmost point reached by the Egyptian army in Operation Pleshet, one of the battles of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War....
Bridge (over the Lakhish River to the north of Isdud), which had been destroyed 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...
on May 12. As they made logistical preparations to cross the river, the column was bombed and engaged in Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet , named for the geographical region where it took place, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was carried out from May 29 to June 3, 1948, in the Isdud/Ad Halom area of the southern front, against the Egyptian Army. The aim of the operation was to...
(June 2–3). The Egyptians therefore shifted their focus to clearing their flanks, focusing on Nitzanim as some of the injured Israelis who participated in Pleshet were evacuated there. While the nearby village of Beit Daras had been under Israeli control since May 11, there was no continuity with Nitzanim, as Hill 69, which separated the two villages, was not occupied. 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...
planned to capture the hill on the night of June 7–8, but did not anticipate the Egyptian attack on Nitzanim. The plan to capture the hill, however, was carried out on time.
Prelude
Israel
Until May 15, evacuation of noncombatants, including children, was generally opposed by the YishuvYishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
leadership. It was argued that Israel's aim in the war was the continuation of normal life and that under the circumstances, it was impossible to draw a line between front and rear. It was also feared that combatants would follow the noncombatants and abandon the settlements. This position changed on May 15. Operation Tinok ("Baby") saw the evacuation of children from Nitzanim, Negba
Negba
Negba is a kibbutz in the northern Negev, Israel. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council...
, Gat, Gal-On and Kfar Menahem
Kfar Menahem
Kfar Menahem is a kibbutz in Israel located about 7 km east of Kiryat Malakhi in south-central Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council....
by armored cars or by foot to places further north, where they were considered to be relatively safer. On the night of May 16–17, 35 children from Nitzanim were evacuated on foot to Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia is a moshav in the Southern District of Israel near the city of Kiryat Malakhi. It is affiliated with the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council....
.
The Israeli defenders of Nitzanim consisted of two platoons from 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...
's 53rd Battalion, one of which was made up of new recruits, for a total of 74 soldiers. The recruits had been brought in from the reserve 58th Battalion during Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet , named for the geographical region where it took place, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was carried out from May 29 to June 3, 1948, in the Isdud/Ad Halom area of the southern front, against the Egyptian Army. The aim of the operation was to...
, in order to free up a more experience platoon from Nitzanim for the operation. There were also 67 local paramilitaries, ten of them women, for a total of 141 combatants. The force had seventy rifles, thirty submachine guns, four Bren light machine guns, a 4-inch mortar, one PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
and a few grenades. Nitzanim had three elevations: the highest was in the northeast, where water towers were built; in the center was the dining hall; and to the south was the "Palace"/"Mansion", an abandoned Arab house which was higher than its surroundings. The three elevations were surrounded by a ring of positions connected by a series of communication ditches. The local commander divided his force into fourteen positions, maintaining a reserve force for reinforcement of weak points and counterattacks in case the Egyptians broke through the position line.
Egypt
Having taken Yad MordechaiYad Mordechai
Yad Mordechai is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located 10 km south of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 710.-History:...
on May 23, the Egyptian force, under the command of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Ahmad Ali al-Mwawi went up along the coast and bypassed Nitzanim. After meeting with Israeli opposition near Ashdod, he decided to stop and consolidated his positions. Naguib was to dig in in Ashdod, another force was to attack Negba, while Mwawi himself would attack Nitzanim to eliminate its threat to his rear. The Egyptian Army set up its main position in the abandoned British military base just east of Nitzanim, with smaller positions in the Cemetery Hill to the northeast and the citrus grove in the south, thus surrounding the village. Mwawi took several days to carefully work out the attack. It was to be carried out in three phases: breakthrough and capture of the water tank hill, capture of the dining hall hill and capture of the "Palace". The Egyptian force consisted of the 9th Battalion, the 3rd Company of the 7th Battalion and a medium machine gun platoon. They were also joined by a tank platoon, an AFV
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
company, 18 pieces of field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
, 12 anti-tank guns, an anti-aircraft battery, and supported by combat aircraft.
Nitzanim
At midnight on July 6–7, Egyptian forces began a bombardment of NitzanimNitzanim
Nitzanim is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 343....
from the Cemetery Hill using Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
cannons and 25-pounder
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
s, and at 06:00, a close-range bombardment using anti-tank guns. All of the prominent features in the village were destroyed. An additional mortar bombardment took place from a southeastern position, and a 6-pounder
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
shelling from the water tank hill in the south. Shortly after, an attack was attempted from the east, but it was repelled and the water tank hill remained under Israeli control.
At 08:00, the Egyptians began an aerial bombardment of the kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
, which came in three waves and continued until 10:15, at which time shelling continued in the form of 25-pounder fire from Majdal
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
about 7 km away. At 11:00, the main thrust of infantry and four tanks commenced. The rest of the armored vehicles provided cover from the adjacent abandoned British base. The Israelis used the lone PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
in their possession against the tanks and forced them to retreat, although the PIAT broke down and the Egyptian 1st Company (9th Battalion) managed to infiltrate the water tank hill.
Position 1 was destroyed and buried its inhabitants, who were in a state of shock when evacuated from the rubble. The telephone system was cut down. A machine gun, aimed at the planes, was hit by a shell. Most of the Israelis' firearms got dirty from the dust, and one machine gun broke down. Since the beginning of the attack, the signal operator tried to contact the 53rd Battalion headquarters at Beer Tuvia. At 10:00, she managed to get an SOS through before losing contact completely. Near 11:00, four Egyptian tanks were ordered to break through into the farmstead, followed by infantry. The tanks advanced from the northeastern corner of the camp, and were met by two Israelis armed with PIATs. They managed to hit the track of one of the tanks on the second shot. The tanks halted, but the PIAT soon broke down and its operator suffered a head wound. The tanks retreated and continued to shell the Israeli position. The Egyptian infantry kept advancing, taking over positions 10, 11, 12, and capturing the water tanks area. The Egyptians reported victory. Twelve Israelis were killed by the tank shells.
The Egyptians then started the second phase of their plan—taking over the northwestern position and the dining hall area. The 4th Company of the 9th Battalion used a tank which broke through the farmstead fence at 12:30 opposite position 8, in the center of Nitzanim's northern fence, after killing six out of the seven Israelis manning the position and blinding the seventh. Schwarzstein, until then posted in the northeastern corner of the smaller orchard, moved to the dining hall and the nearby residence area, which were surrounded by embankments. He was hoping to form a second line and ordered the men from positions 5, 6, and 7 in the north to move to the dining hall area. There, he organized the reserve forces who retreated from the cowshed and the men from the northern positions for defense.
The Egyptians commenced heavy shelling of the dining hall, and by 14:00, the defenders decided to retreat to the "Palace" in the south for a last stand. At 15:00, a retreat of all forces southwards from the village was attempted, but was stalled by the 2nd Company of the 9th Battalion situated in the citrus groves, that forced the Israelis back to the "Palace". 2–4 Israelis managed to hide in the groves and escape to Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia is a moshav in the Southern District of Israel near the city of Kiryat Malakhi. It is affiliated with the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council....
at night.
Throughout the battle, the Israeli forces tried to communicate with the rest of the army and request reinforcements, including three telegrams near the end of the battle, sent by the signal operator Miriam Ben-Ari. All attempts failed and reinforcements were not sent. The wounded commander, Avraham-Elkana Schwarzstein, carrying his bloodstained white shirt, and Ben-Ari, tried to negotiate with the Egyptians, but Schwarzstein was shot by an Egyptian officer. In response, Ben-Ari shot the one responsible and was killed on the spot. At 16:00 on June 7, 105 exhausted Israeli defenders, 26 of them injured, destroyed their remaining ammunition and equipment, and surrendered to the Egyptian forces. The Egyptians prevented their local auxiliaries from massacring all the prisoners, however, three or four of the defenders were killed after surrendering. Survivors were later "displayed" in a victory parade in Majdal, after which they were transferred to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. In all, 33 were killed in the battle—17 soldiers and 16 villagers (of them 3 women).
Hill 69
Three men managed to escape from Nitzanim during the day. They hid until nightfall and then infiltrated through the Egyptian lines until they reached the Givati outposts. They were not aware that Nitzanim had surrendered and the only information about it was received from Egyptian broadcasts, so the Givati commander Shimon AvidanShimon Avidan
Shimon Avidan , born Shimon Koch , was an Israeli soldier and officer, the commander of the Givati Brigade during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war....
found that out only that evening. Despite the fall of Nitzanim, he decided to attack on the night of June 7–8, as planned. One company took Hill 69 and positions to threaten the Egyptian lines at Isdud and prepared to recapture Nitzanim. Meanwhile, another, unsuccessful, attack was carried out against Isdud. Hill 69 was considered tactically important as an obstacle on the road to Isdud in face of the imminent truce.
On the night of June 9–10, Givati's 52nd Battalion, guided by two of the escapees, attacked Nitzanim. Zero hour was postponed after the attacking force lost its way. At dawn, the leading platoon managed to break into Nitzanim from the south and capture the "Palace", but was ordered to withdraw after being hit by heavy Egyptian fire, having lost the cover of darkness. The Egyptian artillery pursued the withdrawing Israeli force until it reached Hill 69. The 52nd Battalion forces were evacuated by armored vehicles, and soon after, the Egyptians attacked the hill, which was held by a company from the 51st Battalion. The ditches collapsed completely and the positions were destroyed. The large force that was concentrated on the hill suffered heavy casualties. The Egyptian infantry attacked from the west, supported from close range by Bren Carrier
Universal Carrier
The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
s and armored cars. The Israeli company broke, and was ordered to retreat, but the withdrawal was disorganized and cost more casualties. The last Israeli to remain on the hill was an artillery observer, who ordered his guns to bring down fire on his own position, before being killed. The total Israeli death toll on the hill and the retreat from it was 20. The Egyptians tried to continue towards Beit Daras
Beit Daras
Bayt Daras was a Palestinian Arab town located on the Lachish River, northeast of Gaza and approximately above sea level, which was depopulated in 1948.-History:...
and Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia
Be'er Tuvia is a moshav in the Southern District of Israel near the city of Kiryat Malakhi. It is affiliated with the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council....
, but met with heavy opposition. At nightfall, they withdrew.
Aftermath
The Battle of Nitzanim was one of the few Israeli surrenders during the war and was seen by many as humiliating. The 105 prisoners captured at Nitzanim constituted the majority of POWPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s captured by Egypt during the entire war. According to the POWs, the Egyptian media covered the event widely, writing that 300 Jews were killed in Nitzanim, that it was a major submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
base, and that much booty was captured, including oil and fuel. Yitzhak Pundak
Yitzhak Pundak
-Early life:Pundak was born Yitzhak Fundik in Kraków, Poland and immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1933.-Military career:Pundak's military career started with the Haganah. In 1945, he was an instructor in a platoon commanders' course....
, the battalion commander who was directly responsible for the village's defense, claims that actions could have been taken to save it, including transferring Napoleonchik
Canon de 65 M(montagne) modele 1906
The Canon de 65 M modele 1906 or was a French mountain gun which entered service with the regiments d'artillerie de montagne in 1906 and was one of the first soft-recoil guns in service. The carriage of the mle 1906 was hinged and could be broken down into four mule loads for transport...
cannons to the site.
Following the capture of Hill 69, a major obstacle was removed for Egypt, which enabled it to attack Gal On
Gal On
Gal On is a kibbutz in Israel's southern lowlands associated with the Hashomer Hatzair movement and its Kibbutz Artzi settlement organisation . Established as part of the 1946 11 points in the Negev settlement drive, it is located approximately ten kilometers north east of Kiryat Gat and two...
and capture Gezer
Gezer
Gezer was a Canaanite city-state and biblical town in ancient Israel. Tel Gezer , an archaeological site midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is now an Israeli national park....
. When Givati finally reached Nitzanim after Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
, they found the village abandoned and largely destroyed, as the Egyptians retreated south to Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. The Israelis killed in action were buried in a mass grave in the village. The villagers who returned from captivity on March 7, 1949, as part of the 1949 Armistice Agreements
1949 Armistice Agreements
The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israeli forces and the forces in...
, rebuilt Nitzanim on a site a few kilometers south of the original. The Nitzanim Youth Village was built in 1949 on the site of the battle, and closed in 1990, where Nitzan
Nitzan
Nitzan is a religiously observant communal settlement in southern Israel. Located among the Nitzanim sand dunes north of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 3,000...
was founded later. The site was turned into a tourist attraction, featuring a visual presentation and various monuments, including the Women of Valor Center , a monument for all female warriors killed in action in Israel's wars, especially the three in Nitzanim: Miriam Ben-Ari, the intern paramedic Shulamit Dorczin, and the 18-year-old Deborah Epstein who died of her wounds in captivity.
Reactions in Israel
Abba KovnerAbba Kovner
Abba Kovner was a Lithuanian Jewish Hebrew poet, writer, and partisan leader. He became one of the great poets of modern Israel. He was a cousin of the Israeli Communist Party leader Meir Vilner.-Biography:...
, then the culture officer of the Givati Brigade, published a scathing leaflet denouncing the defenders. Nisan Reznik, who was one of the fighters in Nitzanim, and knew Kovner from before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, claimed that the letter was a result of egoism. Part of the leaflet read:
... The fighters on the southern front, soldiers of the brigade, defenders of the settlements! The hour of Nitzanim's surrender—is the hour of extreme grief and personal reflection—and a personal reflection says: One doesn't defend one's home conditionally. Defense means with all the forces at the command of one's body and soul, and if fate should so decree, it is better to fall in the trenches of the home than to surrender ... To surrender as long as the body lives and the last bullet breathes in the clip is a disgrace. To fall into the invader's captivity is shame and death!
—Abba KovnerAbba KovnerAbba Kovner was a Lithuanian Jewish Hebrew poet, writer, and partisan leader. He became one of the great poets of modern Israel. He was a cousin of the Israeli Communist Party leader Meir Vilner.-Biography:...
, partial text of the Givati leaflet, signed by Shimon AvidanShimon AvidanShimon Avidan , born Shimon Koch , was an Israeli soldier and officer, the commander of the Givati Brigade during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war....
.
As a result, Nitzanim's members demanded an investigation into the battle immediately after the war ended, claiming that Kovner significantly and unrightfully harmed their reputation. The investigation was headed by the Chief of Staff Ya'akov Dori, who sided with the defenders and wrote:
The difficult circumstances of the battle by the residents of Nitzanim, the bitter isolation of the combatants, the lack of communication with the rear-front, lack of ammunition and food, and due to the high number of casualties in that defense, brings honor to all those who fought bitterly there, until the last bullet. What happened in Nitzanim happened also to other places, the defenders of which fought bravely to the last option.
—Ya'akov Dori
Prime Minister 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...
also praised the defenders of Nitzanim. A thriller called Target - Tel Aviv by Ram Oren
Ram Oren
Ram Oren is a popular Israeli author who has sold an unprecedented 1 million books in Hebrew.Oren started writing books only at a relatively advanced age. At age 15, he began his journalistic career as a messenger boy for Yediot Aharonot. He advanced to editorship of important sections of the paper...
was published in 2004, focusing on the battle and its aftermath.
In the historiography of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
In the historical debate about the 1948 Arab-Israeli War1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, Benny Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
takes the example of Nitzarim at two times to draw a comparison between Israeli and Arab attitudes during the war. He points out that:
- "[like at Nitzanim], all the Jewish settlements conquered by the invading [Arab armies] (...) were razed after their inhabitants had fled or been incarcerated or expelled" and that "[t]hese expulsions by the Arab regular armies stemmed quite naturally from the expulsionnist mindset prevailing in the Arab states", drawing a parallel with the Israeli attitude during the war.
- "... the Arab regular armies committed few atrocities and no large-scale massacre of POWs and civilians in the conventional war—even though they conquered [some places such as Nitzanim]"
