Key Facts
- Dates
- October 15–22, 1948
- Parent Operation
- Operation Yoav
- Key positions secured
- Junction (HaTzomet), Kawkaba, Huleiqat
- Failed objective
- Wedge at Khirbet Masara; Iraq Suwaydan fort not taken
- Strategic result
- Safe supply route to the Negev enclave established
Strategic Narrative Overview
Fighting across the Separation Strip ran throughout Operation Yoav, from October 15 to 22, 1948. Israeli forces successfully seized the Junction west of Negba, Kawkaba, and Huleiqat, establishing a continuous land link to the Negev enclave. Attempts to drive a wedge at Khirbet Masara between Fallujah and Bayt Jibrin failed when Egyptians bypassed it, and assaults on the Iraq Suwaydan police fort were also repulsed.
01 / The Origins
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Israeli-held Negev enclave was cut off from the rest of Israeli-controlled territory by a strip of land held by Egyptian forces. Operation Yoav was launched in mid-October 1948 to break this separation, restore supply lines, and assert Israeli control over the Negev Desert before any ceasefire arrangements could consolidate Egyptian positions in the region.
03 / The Outcome
Despite partial failures, the battles achieved their primary objective: a permanent land corridor to the Negev was established. This supply route strengthened Israel's political and military claim to the entire Negev Desert and directly enabled further Israeli operations—Operation Horev and Operation Uvda—conducted between December 1948 and March 1949, which extended Israeli control throughout the southern desert region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.