July 16–17, 1948 · Northern Palestine Theater
July 16–17, 1948
Israeli 7th Brigade forces capture Nazareth — the largest Christian Arab city in Palestine and a city sacred to Christianity — during the Ten Days offensive. The city's mayor surrendered after token resistance. Ben Dunkelman, a Canadian Jewish officer commanding the operation, received but refused to execute an order from Northern Command to expel Nazareth's Arab population — citing its international religious significance and the political implications. The city's Arab population remained, making it unique among Palestinian Arab cities captured in 1948.
Commanders