Retribution operations
Encyclopedia
The retribution operations (Hebrew: פעולות התגמול) were military operation
s carried out by the Israel Defense Forces
during the 1950s and 1960s. These actions were in response to constant fedayeen
terror attacks during which the Palestinian militants infiltrated from Syria
, Egypt and Jordan
into Israel to carry out guerrilla attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. The policy of the retribution operations was exceptional due to Israel's declared aim of getting a high 'blood cost' among the enemy side which was believed to be necessary in order to deter them from committing future attacks. Two other factors behind the raids were restoring public morale and training for newly formed army units.
and Israeli chief of staff Moshe Dayan
led the retribution operations policy. Underlying this policy was intent to act strongly in response to terror attacks, while sending the message that any terror attack aimed at Israelis would be followed by a severe Israeli response. In the words of Ben-Gurion, from his lecture "retribution operations as a means to ensure the Peace":
This approach dominated in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, although it was not the only one. Moshe Sharett
, the Israeli prime minister during the retribution operations, objected to this policy and after the Ma'ale Akrabim massacre
he wrote in his diary:
The head of the United Nations truce observers, Canadian Lieutenant-General E.L.M. Burns, was very critical of what he described as "constant provocation of the Israeli forces and armed kibbutzim." His conclusion was "The retaliation does not end the matter; it goes on and on ..."
and Syria
, because at that time the majority of attacks originated from the Jordanian and Syrian borders. The main retribution operations held after the Sinai War include:
.
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
s carried out by the Israel Defense Forces
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...
during the 1950s and 1960s. These actions were in response to constant fedayeen
Palestinian fedayeen
Palestinian fedayeen refers to militants or guerrillas of a nationalist orientation from among the Palestinian people...
terror attacks during which the Palestinian militants infiltrated from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Egypt and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
into Israel to carry out guerrilla attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. The policy of the retribution operations was exceptional due to Israel's declared aim of getting a high 'blood cost' among the enemy side which was believed to be necessary in order to deter them from committing future attacks. Two other factors behind the raids were restoring public morale and training for newly formed army units.
The policy
Israeli prime minister David Ben-GurionDavid 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...
and Israeli chief of staff Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
led the retribution operations policy. Underlying this policy was intent to act strongly in response to terror attacks, while sending the message that any terror attack aimed at Israelis would be followed by a severe Israeli response. In the words of Ben-Gurion, from his lecture "retribution operations as a means to ensure the Peace":
We do not have power to ensure that the water pipe lines won't be exploded or that the trees won't be uprooted. We do not have the power to prevent the murders of orchard workers or families while they are asleep, but we have the power to set a high price for our blood, a price which would be too high for the Arab communities, the Arab armies and the Arab governments to bear.
This approach dominated in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, although it was not the only one. Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett on 15 October 1894, died 7 July 1965) was the second Prime Minister of Israel , serving for a little under two years between David Ben-Gurion's two terms.-Early life:...
, the Israeli prime minister during the retribution operations, objected to this policy and after the Ma'ale Akrabim massacre
Ma'ale Akrabim massacre
The Ma'ale Akrabim massacre was an attack on an Israeli civilian passenger bus, carried out the night of 16–17 March 1954. Eleven passengers were shot dead by the attackers who ambushed and boarded the bus...
he wrote in his diary:
Committing a severe responsive act to this bloodbath would only obscure its horrors, and put us in an equal level with murderers of the other party. We should rather this instance to raise political pressure on the world powers, to have them exert unprecedented pressure on Jordan.
The head of the United Nations truce observers, Canadian Lieutenant-General E.L.M. Burns, was very critical of what he described as "constant provocation of the Israeli forces and armed kibbutzim." His conclusion was "The retaliation does not end the matter; it goes on and on ..."
April 1951 – October 1956
- Operation El-Hamma (התקיפה באל-חמה)El-Hamma IncidentThe El-Hamma Incident refers to an event which happened on April 4, 1951 and resulted in the death of seven IDF soldiers by Syrian military forces during an Israeli attempt to enforce its sovereignty over the demilitarized zone along the Syrian border....
– Following the el-Ḥamma incident on 4 April 1951 in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed after attempting to enforce Israel's sovereignty in the demilitarized zone to include the el-Ḥamma enclave – Hamat GaderHamat GaderHamat Gader is a site in the Yarmouk River valley, near the Sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights. The name means "hot springs of Gadara", referring to the several mineral springs with temperatures up to 50°C...
. The next day the first retribution operation since signing the cease-fire agreements was carried out. Unlike the following retribution operations, this operation was carried out by the Israeli Air Force. The operation failed when the attacking planes missed their target. - Operation ShoshanaQibya massacreThe Qibya massacre, also known as the Qibya incident, occurred in October 1953 when Israeli troops under Ariel Sharon attacked the village of Qibya in the West Bank. Sixty-nine Palestinian Arabs, two thirds of them women and children were killed. Forty-five houses, a school, and a mosque were...
(מבצע שושנה) – Carried out on 14 October 1953 following an attack in which an Israeli mother and her two children were killed. Commanded by Ariel SharonAriel SharonAriel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
, a force made up of paratroopers and members of Unit 101Unit 101Unit 101 was a special forces unit of the Israeli Defense Forces , founded and commanded by Ariel Sharon on orders from Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in August 1953...
made a night-time attack on the village of QibyaQibyaQibya is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, located northwest of Ramallah and exactly north of the large Israeli city of Modi'in. It is part of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, and according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of approximately 4,901 in...
in the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, which was controlled by Jordan at the time. Sixty-nine villagers were killed during the operation. In addition to that, forty-five houses, a school, and a mosque were destroyed. - Operation Black ArrowOperation Black ArrowOperation Black Arrow was an Israeli military operation carried out in Gaza on 28 February 1955. The operation targeted the Egyptian army. Thirty-eight Egyptian soldiers were killed during the operation as were eight Israelis....
(מבצע חץ שחור) – Carried out in GazaGazaGaza , 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,...
(while under Egyptian control) between 28 February until 1 March 1955. The operation was aimed at the Egyptian army. 38 Egyptian soldiers were killed during the operation and thirty were injured. Eight IDF soldiers were killed during the operation and thirteen were injured. According to the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, this operation was the main motive for Egypt's big arms deal with CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1955. - Operation ElkayamOperation ElkayamOperation Elkayam also known as the Khan Yunis raid, was an Israeli military operation that targeted Egyptian military positions in the Khan Yunis area. The successful operation resulted in the destruction of Egyptian military installations as well as the deaths of seventy-two Egyptian soldiers...
(מבצע אלקיים) – Carried out on 31 August 1955 against the police forces of Khan YunisKhan YunisKhan Yunis - often spelt Khan Younis or Khan Yunnis - is a city and adjacent refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the city, its refugee camp, and its immediate surroundings had a total population of 180,000 in 2006...
from where attacks had been carried out against Israelis. 72 Egyptian soldiers were killed during the operation. The operation was followed by a massive buildup of Egyptian troops in the Gaza Strip. - Operation Jonathon, 11/12 September 1955, was an attack by two paratroop companies on Khirbet al Rahwa police fort, on the HebronHebronHebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
-BeershebaBeershebaBeersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
road, in which over twenty Jordanian soldiers and policemen were killed. Amongst the Israeli casualties was Captain Meir Har-ZionMeir Har-ZionMeir Har-Zion is a former Israeli military commando.As a key member of Unit 101 he was highly praised by Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan who described him as "the finest of our commando soldiers, the best soldier ever to emerge in the IDF." His three-year military career was ended by injuries sustained...
. - Operation EggedOperation EggedOperation Egged also known as the Kuntilla operation was an Israeli military operation carried out on night of October 28-29, 1955 that targeted an Egyptian military post at Kuntilla, located in northeastern Sinai. The operation was a success and resulted in the destruction of the post. Twelve...
: Following an Egyptian border provocation in the Nitzana Demiliterized Zone, Two-hundred paratroopers carried out a reprisal raid against an Egyptian military post at Kuntilla. Twelve Egyptian soldiers were killed and twenty-nine others were taken prisoner. - Operation VolcanoOperation Volcano (Israeli raid)Operation Volcano , also known as Operation Sabcha, was a large-scale Israel Defense Force military operation carried out on the night of November 2-3, 1955 against Egyptian military positions in and around the Nitzana/Auja vicinity. The operation was successful and resulted in the permanent...
(מבצע הר געש) – Following the invasion of the Egyptian forces into the Israeli youth village and communal settlement Nitzana in the Demilitarized Zone, the IDF carried out an attack in that area on 2 November 1955. 81 Egyptian soldiers were killed during the operations and 55 were captured. Seven IDF soldiers were killed during the operation. - Operation Saiir (מבצע שעיר) – Carried out on 22 December 1955, the IDF forces raided Syrian outposts on the slopes of the Golan Heights.
- Operation Olive leavesOperation Olive LeavesOperation Olive Leaves also known as Operation Kinneret was an Israeli reprisal operation undertaken on December 10-11, 1955 against fortified Syrian emplacements near the north-eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The raid was prompted by repeated Syrian attacks on Israeli fishing in the Sea of...
(מבצע עלי זית) – Carried out on 11 December 1955 at Syrian posts located on the eastern coast of the Sea of GalileeSea of GalileeThe Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
in response to constant Syrian attacks on Israeli fishermen. 50 Syrian soldiers were killed and 30 were captured. Six IDF soldiers were killed during the operation. - Operation Gulliver (מבצע גוליבר) – Carried out on 13 September 1956 in Jordan.
- Operation Lulav (מבצע לולב) – Carried out on 25 September 1956 in the Arab village Husan, near BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. The operation was in response to the murder of participants in an archaeological conference held in Ramat RachelRamat RachelRamat Rachel is a kibbutz located south of Jerusalem in Israel, as an enclave within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries. Overlooking Bethlehem and Rachel's Tomb and situated within the Green Line, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council...
and the murder of two farmers from Moshav AminadavAminadavAminadav is a moshav in central Israel. Located southwest of Jerusalem near Yad Kennedy, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council...
and Kibbutz Maoz Haim. - Targeted killings – On 11 July 1956, Mustafa Hafez, the EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian military intelligence commander in the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and the organizer of fedayeen raids, was assassinated by Israeli Military Intelligence in an operation planned by Major General Yehoshafat HarkabiYehoshafat HarkabiYehoshafat Harkabi was chief of Israeli military intelligence from 1955 until 1959.-Biography:Harkabi had a good command of Arabic, a deep knowledge of Arab civilization and history, and a solid understanding of Islam...
. The following day, Israel assassinated Salah Mustafa, the Egyptian military attache in AmmanAmmanAmman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
who had dispatched infiltrators into Israel via the West Bank. - Operation Samaria (מבצע שומרון) – Carried out on 10 October 1956 in which IDF forces attacked the Qalqilya police forces. 100 Jordanian soldiers and 17 IDF soldiers were killed during the operation. The operation was carried out in response to the constant infiltrations from the West Bank, and in response to the constant attacks from of the Jordanian army aimed at Israeli soldiers and civilians.
Casualties 1949–1956
Between 1949 and 1956 cross border attacks from Israel's neighbours killed around 200 Israelis, with perhaps another 200 Israeli soldiers being killed in border clashes or IDF raids. Over the same period between 2,700 and 5,000 Arabs were killed; the majority unarmed civilians who had crossed the border for economic or social reasons. Most were killed during 1949–1951. After which the average was between 300 and 500 killed a year.January 1960 – November 1966
The Sinai War of 1956 ended the first phase of the Israeli retribution operations. The retribution operations policy continued also after the Sinai War, but were held mainly in JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, because at that time the majority of attacks originated from the Jordanian and Syrian borders. The main retribution operations held after the Sinai War include:
- Operation Tawfiq (פעולת תאופיק) – Carried out on 31 January 1960. It was the first Israeli retribution operation carried out after the Sinai war. The operation was carried out by GolaniGolani BrigadeThe Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
forces at the Syrian village of Tawfiq, in response to attacks on Israelis in Tel KatzirTel KatzirTel Katzir is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located to the south of the Sea of Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 202....
. Tawfiq was designated by the IDF as the center of many Syrian attacks and as a result it was decided that the destruction of the village was vital. During the operation the village was conquered and destroyed while being attacked by Syrian artillery. Six Syrian soldiers were killed during the operation. Three IDF soldiers were killed during the operation and seven were injured.
- Operation Swallow (מבצע סנונית) – Another operation which was carried out as a result of Syrian attacks on Israeli fishermen in the Sea of Galilee. During The operation which was carried out on 16 March 1962, Israeli forces from the Golani Brigade raided Syrian posts in the village of Nokyeab. 30 Syrian soldiers were killed during the operation. Seven IDF soldiers were killed during the operation and seven were injured.
- Operation as-SamuSamu IncidentThe Samu incident refers to events on November 13, 1966 involving an Israeli military attack on the Jordanian-controlled West Bank village of Samu in response to Fatah raids against Israelis near the West Bank border...
(פעולת סמוע) – Carried out on 13 November 1966, IDF forces attacked the village of as-SamuAs-SamuAs Samu or es-Samu is a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, 12 kilometers south of the city of Hebron. as-Samu is 60 kilometers south-west of Jerusalem. The area is a hilly, rocky area cut by some wadis. The Armistice Demarcation Line runs generally east to west approximately five...
, south of the city of HebronHebronHebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
, in response to sabotage acts aimed at Israeli targets. During the operation dozens of houses were bombed. 18 Jordanians were killed during the operation. One IDF soldier was killed during the operation – the paratroop battalion commander, Lt. Col. Yoav Shaham. In addition to the ground operation, an air battle was conducted between eight Hawker HunterHawker HunterThe Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
aircraft of the Royal Jordanian Air Force and four MirageMirageA mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French mirage, from the Latin mirare, meaning "to look at, to wonder at"...
aircraft of the Israeli Air Force.
Israeli commemoration of the retribution operations
A commemoration site called "Black Arrow" (חץ שחור), which commemorates the various retribution operations and the heritage of the Israeli paratrooper units, is located in the NegevNegev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
.
See also
- Israeli wars and armed conflict
- Palestinian fedayeenPalestinian fedayeenPalestinian fedayeen refers to militants or guerrillas of a nationalist orientation from among the Palestinian people...
- Unit 101Unit 101Unit 101 was a special forces unit of the Israeli Defense Forces , founded and commanded by Ariel Sharon on orders from Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in August 1953...