It helped sever the supply route of the Egyptian expeditionary force's eastern wing, and strengthened Israel's claim to the Negev desert.

The modern Beersheba was founded in the late 19th century, as part of a policy by Abdul Hamid II to build and expand population centers in the desert regions of the Ottoman Empire (others included Jerash, Amman and Aqaba).

[3] This only became plausible again in Operation Yoav, when large Israeli forces mounted a major offensive on Egyptian positions in several locations, including Beit Hanoun and the Separation Corridor.

The assault would have to be successful within the framework of one day however, which was unlikely for Gaza as its defenses improved as the Egyptian expeditionary force's headquarters moved there from Majdal on October 19, 1948.

[3] Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion did not believe in the IDF's ability to take Beersheba in such a short time,[6] but the telegram significantly increased the town's importance in his eyes, and he worked to delay the United Nations-imposed ceasefire as much as possible so that it could be taken.

[5] The Egyptian command in Beersheba was unaware of Israel's success in the battles for the Separation Corridor, and was not expecting an attack.

An Israeli artillery force simultaneously left Hatzerim, west of Beersheba, and positioned itself mainly on Hill 279.9.

[9] When the Israelis realized that the second wave that was meant to complete the capture of Beersheba was late to arrive, they changed the attack plan and decided to surround the railway station.

At that point, about 60 Israeli soldiers were left in the city center, compared to an estimated 500 Egyptian troops fortified in the railway station.

[8] Although the majority of Beersheba's civilian population had fled as a result of Israeli air strikes, about 350 still lived there at the time of the battle, and were expelled to Gaza in the aftermath.