When the war of libiration broke out, Ramla served as an important base for the Arab fighters
against the jews. City youngsters gave hand to gangs who terminated Jewish transportation
through the city to Jerusalem and to attempted killings in Jewish surrounding settlements.
Transportation was moved south to winding and dangerous routes were only armored convoys
drove through them.

The Arab fighters in Ramla attacked a nearby police school and robbed 400 rifles, 8 Sten sub-
machine guns and 60,000 bullets. This happened on December 14, 1947 as reported by an important
Arab commander in the forces fighting the Jews.

A daring sabotage operation was done by a Jewish fighter in the marketplace.
On Febuary 18, 1948 A young Jew dressed as an Arab had infiltrated into the marketplace
carrying a basket full of explosives covered with vegetables. He left the basket there and fled.
The explosion killed 7 and injured 45. This action imposed fear on the Arabs of Ramla who
confined their young fighters to protect the city, preventing them from going out sabotaging
Jews and their lines of transport. Near Ramla and close to the street to Jaffa stood a large
and very noticable building that served as the commanding base of the Arab fighters in the
whole area. Their chief commander was Hasan Salamah, one of the gang leaders in the time of
the bloody massacre during the years 1936-1939.

With the declaration of the 2nd world war, Hasan left to Germany to offer his assistance with
thier plot in the east. Hasan recieved military training there and was parachuted back into
the country in order to sabotage British military actions and to clear the way to the
destruction of the Jewish settlement. On April 5 1948 ,In a daring operation by the HAGANA
fighters, Hasans headquarters was blown up killing 39 Arab fighters in the falling debris.
This imposed great fear upon the Arabs seeing the courage of the Jews who succeded in
penetrating thier strongest fort.

The increase in Jewish fighters in the Tel-Aviv region led to the conquering of Arab villages
in the area including the nearby TZRIFIN location that was conquered on May 19, 1948 and serves
today as an IDF base. The camp of TZRIFIN was seized by the HAGANA brigade who were active
mainly in the south, and handed over to the KIRYATI brigade whos men were active in the
Tel-Aviv area. Although the Arabs tried several times to take the camp back but were repeled.
After the camp was secured, fighters from the GIVATI brigade began raiding operations
towards the city of Ramla in order to aid ETZEL units who attempeted twice an attack on the
city from its west side, once during the nights of May 11-22 and the second on May 24-25.
These unsuccessfull attempts lead to several casualties and the city remained in Arab hands
at the time of the first cease-fire.

Within the area of Ramla-Lod that was filled with many Arab villages, were two Hebrew
locations under siege:
GEZER along the old road to Jerusalem, and BEN-SHEMEN located east of Lod.
At the end of the cease-fire in the area of Tel-Aviv, began the military operation towards
conquering Ramla and Lod that was named "Operation Danny" in memory of Danny-Mas,
a young commander of the "LAMED HEI" company. These were fighters who hurried to
the aid of seized GUSH EZION and all died in action during the cruel battle in the
Judaia mountains.

IDF files moved forward from the Tel-Aviv area Eastward with all their might and penetrated
the Arab area of Ramla-Lod in order to conquer the area as quick as possible.

The operation took place in two stages.

The first stage: To move forward in two forces north and south with the goal of first
taking the villages east of Ramla-Lod and by doing this to disconnect the two cities from
the rest of the Arab territories of the land and to meet in BEN-SHEMEN which was currently
under siege.

The second stage: Penetrating Lod and Ramla and eventualy conquering the cities.

The carrying out of this military mission was casted on regiments of several brigades.
In the southern force the YIFTACH regiments of the PALMACH brigades and in the northern
force that was of a larger scale armored, jeep and caterpillar vehicle regiments of the
armored brigade and infantry regiments from the brigades KIRYATI and ALEXANDRONI whos
men were active mainly in the SHARON reqion.

The operation was set to begin on the night of July 9 1948.
The southern force started out from the area of GEZER, crossed the road leading from Ramla
to Jerusalem, conquered the village of ANABEH, moved on forward to the village GAMZU and
reached BEN-SHEMEN on July 10, 1948. This was the first convoy to reach BEN-SHEMEN
that was under siege a long time.

When the soldiers of the southern force began moving towards their destination,
the northern force started out several months before from the area of PETACH TIKVA in two
main origins. One moved directly to Lod airport and from there to the eastern villages
of LOD and onward to BEN-SHEMEN. The other advanced to the ROSH-HAAYIN/BEN-SHEMEN route that
passes the hills dominating the area operation Danny was taking place. The fighters of this
force experienced greater difficulties in their advancement due to resistance of the Arab
legion fighters and arrived at BEN-SHEMEN only the day after.

After the two forces met in BEN-SHEMEN began the second stage of operation Danny.
First, a motorized commando regiment stormed towards LOD via a road in the BEN-SHEMEN area.
The head of the file was lead by an Arab legion armored vehicle that fell into the hands of
the regiment in the fightings the previous day and was appropriately named "Terrible tiger".
It was equipped with a turret and a large calibre gun. Following this vehicle were other
track vehicles and jeeps.

While overcoming heavy fire from enemy posts and other obstacles, the fighters reached
the entrance to Ramla and returned to BEN-SHEMEN again under heavy fire.
This daring raid lasted 47 minutes, counted 9 casualties and 17 injured and caused the Arab
fighters morale to collapse. The next day, after powerfully storming LOD, the Jewish forces
penetrated and conquered the city. To the site of LODs defeat and the retreat of the Arab
legion, Ramla surrendered to the IDF on July 12 1948. Most of Ramlas Arab residents fled
eastward to territories held by the Arab legion under Jordanian rule.

After its conquering, Ramla was under the rule of the IDF.
Some time later the city was opened before Jewish settlers and became a Hebrew city.



From the book by Zeev Vilnai, "Ramla past and present"