The Israelis stayed and reinforcements arrived to treat the wounded. The Israeli soldiers were on their way out the door, when suddenly the words “don't retreat” echoed from a radio that was thought to be broken. Their surrender was near, but the Israeli Forces in the monastery had no way of knowing this. In the meantime, the enemy forces had also suffered many casualties and were out of Ammo. Two soldiers would stay behind and detonate the explosives when the Iraqi forces reached the monastery. It was decided that those wounded who could not make it out would be put in a room rigged with explosives. They needed to retreat, but no soldier could be left behind for torture and mutilation.
Additionally, they suffered countless injuries including Platoon Commander Raful Eitan who was shot in the head. Although they managed to hold off the Arabs, the Palmach began to run low on supplies. After a few quiet hours, a fierce counter-attack began. This time, the Israeli troops quickly captured the monastery that was being used as the Arab forces' base of operations and that was the end of the fighting, or so they thought. The Battle for Katamonĭuring the Independence War, Israeli forces reentered Katamon which was a key strategic position in Jerusalem that Israel had failed to retake from the Arab forces controlling it, just two days earlier. This attack led to the Arab Liberation Army’s retreat and was the last significant stand of the Arab Liberation Front in the Israeli War of Independence. Miraculously, the highly outnumbered Jewish forces managed to go on the offensive, successfully taking over the Arab villages surrounding the kibbutz. All hope seemed lost, yet surrender was not acceptable. The Arabs had attacked the kibbutz, Mishmar Haemek, with the intent of taking it for the strategic location in between Jenin and Haifa. Outnumbered ten to three and with artillery shells raining down on them, a few hundred Jewish residents and soldiers managed to hold off about one thousand troops of the Arab Liberation Army. On April 4, 1948, the odds were not in Israel’s favor. Israeli Defense Forces: Table of Contents| New Programs 2014| Wars & Operations The Battle of Mishmar HaEmek
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