Operation Pleshet

Operation Pleshet
	Part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
	; Aerial photo of Isdud in 1935
Date	May 29 – June 3, 1948
Location	Isdud
Result	Egyptian tactical victory; Initiative passed to Israeli side
Belligerents
Israel (IDF)	Egypt Saudi Arabia (volunteers) Sudan (volunteers)
Commanders and leaders
Lou Lenart (air force); Shimon Avidan (Givati Brigade)	Muhammad Naguib (2nd Brigade)
Strength
1,150; 6 aircraft	2,300
Casualties and losses
45 killed or missing; 50 wounded; 5 captured	7–15 killed; 18–30 wounded

Operation Pleshet (Hebrew: מִבְצָע פְּלֶשֶׁת, Mivtza Pleshet) was an Israeli military action near the village of Isdud from May 29 to June 3, 1948 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Isdud was on the Israeli southern front against the Egyptian Army, and the operation was aimed at capturing the village and stopping the Egyptian advance northwards. While only the June 2–3 engagements are officially named Operation Pleshet, the events immediately preceding are historiographically joined with it.

The preceding events consisted of an aerial bombardment, followed by small-scale Israeli harassment of the Egyptian lines, and later a ground assault (Operation Pleshet). The original plan was to attack on June 1–2, but this was canceled due to an impending ceasefire, and re-attempted on June 2–3. The Israelis, under the Givati Brigade's umbrella command, attacked in two main forces: one from the north (3 companies) and one from the south (4 reinforced companies). The Israelis had little intelligence on their enemy and were forced to retreat. They failed to capture territory, and suffered heavy casualties. However, following the operation, Egypt changed its strategy from offensive to defensive, thus halting their advance northwards.

Two unsettled historiographic debates exist revolving around the operation: whether the Egyptians were intending to advance toward Tel Aviv, which most historians agree was not the case; and whether the operation was a turning point on the Israeli southern front. Traditional Israeli historiography, supported by early Arab accounts, maintains that it was a turning point, while later Arab sources, and New Historians, dispute this.

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