The Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub was fought on 27 September 1918 at the beginning of the pursuit by the Desert Mounted Corps of the retreating remnants of the Yildirim Army Group towards Damascus during the Sinai and Palestine campaign of World War I.

Remnants of the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies were retreating in columns towards Damascus from the Judean Hills via Samakh, the bridge at Jisr Benat Yakub, Kuneitra, and Kaukab, pursued by the Australian Mounted and the 5th Cavalry Divisions.

These rearguards were successfully attacked by the Australian Mounted Division during the day, capturing a number of survivors who had not succeeded in withdrawing, to occupy the eastern bank of the Jordan River.

[1] The caravan route from China to Morocco via Mesopotamia and Egypt passed through the site, which has been strategically important to Egyptian, Assyrian, Hittite, Jew, Saracen Arab, Crusader knight, and Ottoman Janissary, who had all crossed the river at this place.

[19] They were joined by the survivors of the Yildirim Army Group GHQ troops and garrison from Nazareth which had retreated via Tiberias, to cross the Jordan River at Jisr Benat Yakub, just south of Lake Huleh.

[18][20] The Australian Mounted Division reached the Jordan River about midday to find a rearguard including German machine gunners dominating the area from the opposite or eastern bank; sweeping the open approaches and the ford to the south of the bridge with their fire.

At this point the river was deep and fast flowing with steep banks making it difficult to cross without the additional problem posed by the machine gun fire.

[21][22][23] The extensive rearguard position defending the west bank of the Jordan River stretched from the bridge at Jisr Benat Yakub north to Lake Huleh.

They eventually swum the river in the late afternoon 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Jisr Benat Yakub at the El Min ford.

[24][26] During "the crossing of the Jordan near El Min", two members of the 4th Light Horse Regiment received awards; Farrier Quarter Master Sergeant Frederick Gill earned the Military Medal for "assisting with the horses under heavy fire" and Trooper George Stockdale was mentioned in dispatches for a successful scouting mission to "reach a position from which he could view the enemy's position.

[26] Meanwhile, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade advanced north along the western bank of the Jordan River to reach the southern shore of Lake Huleh, searching of a suitable crossing place.

[33] By midnight the whole brigade had crossed the river and advanced 4 miles (6.4 km) to cut the Damascus road at Deir es Saras, but the main Ottoman rearguard force which had defended Jisr Benat Yakub had already retreated.

[33][34] While the light horse brigades crossed the Jordan River to capture the remnant rearguard which had not withdrawn in lorries, all wheeled vehicles including guns had to wait for the bridge to be repaired.