Negev desert road ambush
Encyclopedia
The Negev desert road ambush was a guerilla attack which occurred, on Thursday, 4 October 1956
militants infiltrated Israel from Jordan
. In broad daylight, the militants swooped down on two jeep
s on the Sodom–Beer Sheva road (Highway 25
), which were traveling on the road section which goes through the southern part of the Dead Sea
, 7 miles west of the Jordanian border with Israel. The vehicle were carrying employees of the Solel Boneh
company.
The militants began by attacking the first vehicle with machine gun fire, kill all of the four passengers in the car. Afterwards the militants attacked the second vehicle. One of the passengers in the second car jumped out of the car in an attempt to escape the militants and save his life. The militants killed him as well with machine-gun fire.
Only one person, an American engineer whom was driving the second car, managed to escape the incident.
ordered the release of the assailants.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman blamed the killings on a "well trained and organized group from Jordan."
He also stated that the incident "shows a continuation of Jordan's policy of aggression and border harassment".
. After a fierce battle the fort was blown up. 18 IDF soldiers died in the operation and 68 were injured. About 88 Jordanians were killed and 15 were wounded.
The attack
During the afternoon of 4 October 1956, a squad of 10 armed Palestinian FedayeenFedayeen
Fedayeen is a term used to describe several distinct militant groups and individuals in West Asia at different times in history. It is sometimes used colloquially to refer to suicide squads, especially those who are not bombers.-Overview:...
militants infiltrated Israel from Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. In broad daylight, the militants swooped down on two jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s on the Sodom–Beer Sheva road (Highway 25
Highway 25 (Israel)
Highway 25 is a rural highway in southern Israel. It begins northwest of Nahal Oz at the border with the Gaza Strip, and it passes through Netivot, Beersheba and Dimona. It continues southeast toward Arava Junction, where it meets Highway 90. Its length is estimated by the Israeli Department of...
), which were traveling on the road section which goes through the southern part of the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
, 7 miles west of the Jordanian border with Israel. The vehicle were carrying employees of the Solel Boneh
Solel Boneh
Solel Boneh is the oldest, and one of the largest, construction and civil engineering companies in Israel.-History:Solel Boneh was founded in 1921 during the first conference of the General Histadrut, under the name of Batz , an acronym of Binyan veAvodot Tziburiot . Its first project was to pave...
company.
The militants began by attacking the first vehicle with machine gun fire, kill all of the four passengers in the car. Afterwards the militants attacked the second vehicle. One of the passengers in the second car jumped out of the car in an attempt to escape the militants and save his life. The militants killed him as well with machine-gun fire.
Only one person, an American engineer whom was driving the second car, managed to escape the incident.
Fatalities
- Gabriel Benjamin Dahan (b. 1931)
- Ephraim Waldman (b. 1907)
- Arie Lahav (b. 1921)
- Jacob Lustig (b. 1916)
Aftermath
The squad members were arrested on their return to Jordan by a Jordanian police force. Shortly thereafter, King Hussein of JordanHussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
ordered the release of the assailants.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman blamed the killings on a "well trained and organized group from Jordan."
He also stated that the incident "shows a continuation of Jordan's policy of aggression and border harassment".
Operation Samaria
As a result, Israel made a decision to of retaliate in response to Negev desert road ambush and to an attack which happened on October 4 in which infiltrators from Jordan killed two Israeli laborers in an orchard near Even Yehuda and cut off their ears. On October 10 The Israeli military conducted a counter attack codenamed Operation Samaria in which the IDF attacked the Qalqilya police station at the Tegart fortTegart fort
A Tegart fort is a style of militarized police "fortress" constructed throughout Palestine during the British Mandatory period.The forts are named after British police officer and engineer Sir Charles Tegart, who designed them in 1938 based on his experiences in the Indian insurgency.Tens of the...
. After a fierce battle the fort was blown up. 18 IDF soldiers died in the operation and 68 were injured. About 88 Jordanians were killed and 15 were wounded.
External links
- Israel Reports Five Slayings. Arabs Are Accused - published on Milwaukee Journal on October 5, 1956