Battle for Jerusalem (1948)

Battle for Jerusalem (1948)
Part of 1948 Palestine War
The Arab Legion attacking the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, May 1948.
Date December 1947 – 18 July 1948 Location Jerusalem Result Stalemate Israel captures West Jerusalem Jordan captures East Jerusalem, including the Old City
Belligerents
Israel Before May 1948 Jewish militias: (Haganah, Irgun, Lehi, Palmach) After May 1948 Etzioni Brigade Harel Brigade	Transjordan Army of the Holy War Arab Liberation Army British officers seconded to Transjordan  Egypt
Commanders and leaders
David Shaltiel Dov Yosef	Abdullah el Tell Abd al-Qader al-Husseini General Sir John Bagot Glubb Pasha
Strength
10,000 men	6,000 Jordanian troops 2,000 Egyptian troops 500 Palestinian militia
Casualties and losses
700 military dead, up to 600 civilians	unknown

The Battle for Jerusalem occurred from December 1947 to 18 July 1948, during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine. The Jewish and Arab populations of Mandatory Palestine and later the Israeli and Jordanian armies fought for control of Jerusalem.

Under the UN Partition Plan, Jerusalem was to be placed under international rule in a corpus separatum. Fighting nevertheless immediately broke out in the city between Jewish and Arab militias, with bombings and attacks by both sides. Starting in February 1948, Arab militia under Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni blockaded the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, preventing the supply of the Jewish population. This blockade was broken in mid-April by Operation Nachshon and Operation Maccabee. On 14 May and the following days, Etzioni and Harel brigades supported by Irgun troops launched several operations aiming to take over the Arab side of the city. In the meantime, the Arab Legion had deployed in the area of Palestine dedicated to the Arab state, not entering the Corpus separatum but massively garrisoning Latrun to blockade the Jewish city once again. Israeli victories against the Arab militias in the city pushed Abdallah of Jordan to order the Arab Legion to intervene. It deployed in East Jerusalem, fought the Israelis and took the Jewish quarter of the Old City. The population was expelled and the fighters taken prisoners to Jordan. The Israeli forces launched three assaults on Latrun to free the road to the city but without success. Israeli forces built an alternative road to Jerusalem before the truce imposed by UN on 11 June, breaking the blockade. During the period called the First Truce the Jewish city was supplied with food, ammunition, weapons and troops. Fighting didn't resume during the remaining months of the 1948 war. The city was split between Israel and Jordan after the war, Israel ruling West Jerusalem and Jordan ruling East Jerusalem with the Old City.

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