Operation Dekel

Operation Dekel (Hebrew: מבצע דקל‎, Mivtza Dekel, lit. Operation Palm Tree), was the largest offensive by Israeli forces in the north of Palestine after the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was carried out by the 7th Armoured Brigade led by Canadian volunteer Ben Dunkelman (called Benjamin Ben-David in Israel), a battalion from the Carmeli Brigade, and some elements from the Golani Brigade between 8–18 July. Its objective was to capture Nazareth and the Lower Galilee.

On 15 July Israeli aircraft bombed Saffuriya village and caused panic among the population; many of the villagers fled northwards toward Lebanon, others found shelter in Nazareth, leaving about 100 elderly people behind.

On the evening of 16 July, Nazareth surrendered to the Israelis after a light fight which left one Israeli dead and one wounded. The Arab Liberation Army forces in the village under the command of Fawzi al-Qawuqji retreated to the mountains in the north. In sharp contrast to the surrounding towns, the inhabitants of Nazareth were never forced to evacuate as Dunkelman refused to obey orders from Haim Laskov to evacuate them.[1]

Palestinian Arab villages captured in Operation Dekel
Operation Dekel. July 1948
Name Population[2] Dates Brigade Notes
Kuwaykat1,05097th Armoured Brigade and Carmeli BrigadeVillage depopulated and destroyed
Kafr Yasif1,057 (1931)10Carmeli BrigadeMost of Muslim population as well as refugees from other villages deported. Town exists today.
Khirbat Jiddin1,50010–11Village and bedouin camps depopulated and destroyed.
Julisn/a (Druze)8–14Population allowed to remain in their homes. Town exists today.
Al-Makrn/a8–14Town exists today.
I'billin1,0578–14Muslim population expelled. Town exists today.
Shefa-'Amr3,6408–147th Armoured Brigade and Carmeli BrigadeMuslim population fled under bombardmennt. Town exists today as a city.
Kabul457 (1931)157th Armoured BrigadeVillagers remained. Town exists today.
Al-Mujaydil190015Golani BrigadeVillage completely emptied and razed to the ground.
Ma'lul69015Village depopulated and destroyed.
Saffuriya4,000167th Armoured Brigade[3] and Carmeli BrigadeVillagers expelled. Hundreds of returnees expelled November 1948 and January 1949. Nothing remains.
Nazareth18,00016Carmeli BrigadePopulation allowed to remain. Town exists today.
Nimrin32017Village depopulated and destroyed.
Lubya2,37017Villagers not allowed to return. Village buildings destroyed in 1960s.
Hittin1,19017Golani BrigadeVillagers fled before the attack and then prevented from returning. Village destroyed.
Amqa1,24015–167th Armoured Brigade and Carmeli BrigadeVillage depopulated and destroyed.
ad-Damun1,31015–167th Armoured BrigadeVillage bombarded, population expelled and buildings destroyed.
Tamra,15–187th Armoured BrigadeVillagers evacuated 20 May. Re-populated with exiles from neighbouring villages.
Mi'ar77015–187th Armoured BrigadeVillagers fled from advancing soldiers. Village destroyed.
Yafa833 (1931)15–18Town exists today.
Uzeir15015–18Village exists today.
Kfar Kanna1,175 (1922)15–187th Armoured BrigadeTown exists today.
Rummana59015–18Village exists today.
Bu'eina15–18Town exists today.
Al-Ruways330187th Armoured BrigadeVillagers fled under bombardment and buildings destroyed. Land now used by kibbutz Yas'ur.
Tur'an1,35018Empty houses used for refugees expelled from other villages. Town exists today.
Nahf200 (1881)187th Armoured BrigadePopulation allowed to remain. Town exists today.
Al-Birwa1,46018Units of ALA involved in defending the village. After capture villagers were prevented from returning and the village was destroyed.
Sha'b1,74019Villagers expelled, later replaced by exiles from other villages.

See also

References
  1. Said, E.W. & Hitchens, C. (2001) Blaming the Victims pp. 86–87 ISBN 1-85984-340-9
  2. 'All That Remains', ISBN 0-88728-224-5, quoting 1944/45 census.
  3. Dan Freeman-maloy (Winter 2011). "Mahal and the Dispossession of the Palestinians". Journal of Palestine Studies. 40 (2). JSTOR 10.1525/jps.2011.XL.2.43.

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