Operation Death to the Invader

Part of 1948 Arab–Israeli War

Date	July 16–18, 1948
Location	Northwestern Negev
Result	Failure to accomplish objectives

Belligerents

Israel (IDF)

Egypt

Muslim Brotherhood

Commanders and leaders

Shimon Avidan (Givati)
Nahum Sarig (Negev)
Moshe Dayan (89th Btn.)

Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi (Egypt)
Ahmed Abdel-Aziz (Muslim Brotherhood)

Strength

4,800

5,000

Casualties and losses

200

unknown

Operation Death to the Invader (Hebrew: מִבְצָע מָוֶת לַפּוֹלֵשׁ‎), also Death to the Invaders, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was carried out on July 16–18, 1948 in the northwestern Negev desert. The operation's objective was to link Jewish villages in the Negev desert with the rest of Israel, after this aim was not achieved in Operation An-Far that ended on July 15. The Egyptians blocked Israeli access to its Negev villages during the first truce of the war (June 11 – July 8), by taking up positions on the Majdal – Bayt Jibrin road, where most of the battles of Death to the Invaders were fought.

The operation started with a series of raids on Egyptian bases and Palestinian Arab villages on July 16–17, including Jilya, Qazaza, Idnibba, Mughallis, Zayta, Isdud and Bayt Jibrin. It was followed on July 17–18 by assaults on Bayt 'Affa, Hill 113, Kawkaba and Huleiqat, which all failed. Finally, on July 18, the Israelis captured Hatta and Karatiyya, successfully fending off a last-minute Egyptian counterattack before the second truce of the war went into effect.

Jewish settlement efforts in the northern Negev desert, such as the Three lookouts (1943) and the 11 points in the Negev (October 1946), created a reality whereby a large Jewish enclave existed within predominantly Arab-inhabited territory. The latter effort was a response to the Morrison–Grady Plan for the partition of Palestine, and was instrumental in the final decision of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine for the Palestine Partition Plan.

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