Battle of Latrun

Latrun, where the road from Tel Aviv climbs into the hills toward Jerusalem, was held by the Jordanian Arab Legion, which used the fortified British police station there to cut off the besieged city. On the night of 24–25 May 1948, in Operation Bin Nun Alef, the newly formed 7th Brigade under Shlomo Shamir and a battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade attacked in haste, with little reconnaissance and weak artillery. Many of the soldiers were Holocaust survivors who had landed only days before and had barely been trained. By daylight they were caught in the open under heavy fire and driven back with heavy losses; Ariel Sharon, then a platoon commander, was badly wounded.

Further attacks at Latrun in May, June and July also failed, and the area stayed in Jordanian hands until 1967. Instead, the Israelis broke through to Jerusalem along the improvised "Burma Road" south of Latrun. The battle became a symbol of sacrifice in the War of Independence, and the police fort is now the Armored Corps memorial, Yad La-Shiryon.