Operation Ovda

Operation Ovda ( _he. מבצע עובדה, "Mivtza Uvda") was an operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, from March 5 to March 10, 1949. It was the last IDF operation during the war and its objective was to capture the southern Negev desert, which was claimed by Jordan in the armistice talks of 1949.

The southern Negev was designated to be part of the Jewish State in the 1947 UN Partition Plan. The name "Ovda" is a term derived from the Hebrew word for "fact" (עובדה "uvda"), referring to the operation's objective to establish de facto Israeli sovereignty over the territory in question, rather than actually conquer it. As such, the Israeli forces did not meet significant resistance on their way. The region claimed during this operations is now referred to as Ovda.

The Negev, Golani and Alexandroni brigades participated in the operation, as well as a number of smaller units.

Prior reconnaissance

In January 1949, slightly over a month before the operation, a small unit was dispatched to reconnoiter the southern Negev, with limited resources and no ability to receive tactical aid. The unit's mission was to map the region, as the best available map of the time was a GSGS map scaled 1:250,000. The unit was reinforced by reconnaissance aircraft and heavy use was made of aerial photography stereoscopic imaging.

The unit moved in two parts: one through the center of the Negev and one through the Arava. It was strictly forbidden to engage the Jordanian Arab Legion or enter the Sinai. The unit encountered Bedouins in Ras al-Naqb and immediately set out to return to Beersheba using a different route. As a result, the Arab Legion again manned posts at Ras al-Naqb, which were previously abandoned.

Timeline of the operation

On March 5, 1949, (4. Adar 5709) Negev Brigade (Infantry brigade 12) forces set out from Beersheba to the Ramon Crater, through Bir Asluj. Golani forces (Infantry brigade 1) simultaneously set out from Mamshit to Ein Hasb.

On March 6, the Negev Brigade travelled to Sde Avraham and began to clear land for an airfield there. On March 7, Golani forces conquered the village Ein Harouf.

In the night of March 6, 7th Brigade reinforcements from the Gahal platoon arrived by air in the newly cleared airfield. They carried supplies and fuel vital to continue the operation.

On March 7, the Alexandroni Brigade moved from Beersheba through Mamshit towards Sodom. From there it made an amphibious landing near Ein Gedi through the dead sea. On March 8-9, Alexandroni conquered Ein Gedi and Masada.

On March 8, Golani conquered al-Ghamr. The defending Jordanian forces withdrew. Simultaneously, Negev forces moved towards Umm Rashrash through the Valley of Fingers. At night, the Alexandroni Brigade set sail from Sodom on the Dead Sea and landed at Ein Gedi before dawn. They split into 3 groups and the southern one captured Masada.

The Negev Brigade stayed at the valley for two days, looking for a roundabout way to reach Ras al-Naqb. On March 9, Golani forces captured Gharandal and proceeded to Ein Ghidyan (now Yotvata).

In the morning of March 10 (9. Adar 5709), an aerial photographer discovered that the police station guarding Ras al-Naqb was abandoned. The Negev Brigade set out towards Umm Rashrash through Ras al-Naqb.

Negev and Golani actively competed on who would reach the Red Sea first, and on March 10 at 15:00, the Negev Brigade accomplished the feat, reaching the abandaoned police station at Umm Rashrash (where the city of Eilat was later built). The Golani Brigade arrived two hours later.

Because Operation Ovda was the last military operation during the war, the raising at the police station of the hand-drawn Israeli flag (popularly known as the Ink Flag) on March 10 at 16:00 is considered to have ended the war.

The front commander sent this telegram at the conclusion of the campaign:"On Hagana day, the 11th of Adar, the Palmach Negev brigade and the Golani brigade present the Gulf of Eilat to the State of Israel".

References

*cite book|title=Battle Sites in the Land of Israel|pages=pp. 15-16|language=Hebrew|author=Carta Jerusalem|publisher=Carta|location= Israel|year=2003|isbn=965-220-494-3|editor=Jehuda Wallach

External links

*he icon [http://www.palmach.org.il/items/6271/show_map.asp?
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