Operation Death to the Invader

Operation Death to the Invader
Part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Date July 16–18, 1948 Location Northwestern Negev, Mandatory Palestine Result Israeli failure to accomplish objectives
Belligerents
Israel (IDF)	Egypt Muslim Brotherhood
Commanders and leaders
Shimon Avidan (GVB) Nahum Sarig (Negev) Moshe Dayan (89th)	Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi Ahmed Abdel-Aziz
Strength
4,800[1]	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.