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Ein Ofarim killings

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Ein Ofarim killings
Part of Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency
Ein Ofarim killings is located in Southern Negev region of Israel
Ein Ofarim killings
The location of Hatzeva, Israel
Native nameהפיגוע בעין עופרים
LocationEin Ofarim facility near Hatzeva, Southern Israel
Date12 September 1956; 68 years ago (1956-09-12)
Attack type
Stabbing attack
WeaponsKnives
Deaths3 Israelis
PerpetratorsPalestinian Fedayeen squad

The Ein Ofarim killings was an attack by Palestinian Fedayeen, which occurred on Wednesday night, 12 September 1956.[1][2][3]

The attack

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On Wednesday night, 12 September 1956, a Palestinian Fedayeen squad infiltrated into Israel from Jordan. The militants attacked the Ein Ofarim oil-drilling camp near the village Hatzeva, while other personnel were out of the camp for grocery shopping. They killed 3 Druze watchmen,[4][5][6] one in his room. The bodies of the guards were stabbed and their guns were stolen by the attackers.[2]

Victims

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The three victims, Nawaf Abu-Ghazi (25 years), Suleiman Hatoum (25 years) and Rafik Abdullah (23 years), were buried in their hometown of Sumei.[7] They were commemorated on Mount Herzl.[7]

Aftermath

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With consulting his Cabinet, the Israeli Prime Minister decided on a reprisal raid.[4] Since the nearest Jordanian police fort was 'topologically difficult', the police fort 80 kilometers away at Gharandal was chosen.[4] During the operation, either 9 or 13 Jordanian police and members of a desert camel patrol unit were killed, along with two civilians.[4] IDF casualties in the operation included one dead soldier and 12 wounded soldiers. The police station and nearby structures were destroyed.[4][8]

References

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  1. ^ "Israel Cites Jordan Raid". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. No. 345. United Press. 14 September 1956. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b Ad, Meshulam (14 September 1956). "עקבות רוצחי השומרים הובילו לגבול הירדני" [The traces of the murderers of the guards led to the Jordanian border]. Davar. p. 1 – via National Library of Israel.
  3. ^ Eilam, Uzi (2020). פשיטה לילית [Night Raid]. Miskal Publishing. pp. 47, 193, 292. ISBN 9789652011305.
  4. ^ a b c d e Morris, Benny (1993). Israel's Border Wars, 1949–1956. Oxford University Press. pp. 409–410. ISBN 0-19-829262-7.
  5. ^ Gabbai, Sheffi (18 September 1964). "ישן וחדש בנופי ישראל" [Old and new in the landscapes of Israel]. Davar. p. 3 – via National Library of Israel.
  6. ^ Shai, Nachman, ed. (1988). ביטחון 50: צה"ל, קהיליית המודיעין, משרד הביטחון [Security 50: The IDF, the intelligence community, the Ministry of Defense]. Alfa Tikshoret. p. 20. ISBN 9789654740074.
  7. ^ a b "חללי פעולות האיבה: אזרחים חללי פעולות איבה" [Victims of hostilities: Civilians victims of hostilities]. Bituah Leumi.
  8. ^ Israeli, Raphael (2002). Jerusalem Divided: The Armistice Regime, 1947-1967. Routledge. p. 82. ISBN 9780714652665.