Operation An-Far

Operation An-Far (short for Anti-Farouk) was a military operation launched by Israel's Givati Brigade on the night of July 8–9 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its objectives were to gain control of approaches in southern Judea and block the advance of the Egyptian army. The fighting continued until July 15, and was followed by Operation Death to the Invader.



Background
On the ending of the first United Nations Truce on July 8, most of the Israeli army's attention and resources were focused on Operations Danny and Dekel. In the south, the Negev and Givati Brigades failed to link up. But in ten days, the Givati Brigade did succeed in "conquering areas in the northern Negev and in the western Hebron district foothills."

Operation
Operational Commander Shimon Avidan held meetings at brigade headquarters on July 5 at which plans were outlined. In the first phase, the 1st Battalion was to attack the Tell es-Safi area. The second phase was towards Beit 'Affa, Hatta and Jusayr.

On July 7, the 1st Battalion were given their orders: "to expel the refugees encamped in the area, in order to prevent enemy infiltration from the east to this important position." According to Israeli army reports, the first phase of the operation, in which 16 villages were captured, resulted in "more than 20,000" people fleeing the area.."

Aftermath
The Israelis managed to achieve limited success in the operation, especially in clearing their flanks, but failed to achieve the main objective—linking up with the forces in the Negev desert. The result was the commencement of Operation Death to the Invader, starting July 16.