This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.The Battle of Nitzanim was fought between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian Army in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, on June 7, 1948 (29 Iyar, 5708 in the Hebrew calendar).

Israelis viewed the surrender of Nitzanim as a humiliation, especially after the Givati Brigade published a leaflet denouncing the defenders.

Kibbutz Nitzanim, founded in 1943, was an isolated Israeli village on the coastal plain, enclosed by the Arab localities of Isdud in the north, Majdal in the south, and Julis and Beit Daras in the east.

[5] At noon on May 29, an observation post near Nitzanim reported that an Egyptian column of about 150 vehicles had passed along the coastal road to the north.

[7] The Egyptian Army set up a position in Isdud between May 29 and June 1, for what Israelis presumed at the time to be thrust to capture Tel Aviv.

[2] However, the Egyptian advance stopped at the Ad Halom Bridge (over the Lakhish River to the north of Isdud), which had been destroyed by the Givati Brigade on May 12.

[2] The Givati Brigade planned to capture the hill on the night of June 7–8, but did not anticipate the Egyptian attack on Nitzanim.

It was argued that Israel's aim in the war was the continuation of normal life and that under the circumstances, it was impossible to draw a line between front and rear.

Operation Tinok ("Baby") saw the evacuation of children from Nitzanim, Negba, Gat, Gal-On and Kfar Menahem by armored cars or by foot to places further north, where they were considered to be relatively safer.

[11][12] The Israeli defenders of Nitzanim consisted of two platoons from the Givati Brigade's 53rd Battalion, one of which was made up of new recruits, for a total of 74 soldiers.

[12] Nitzanim had three elevations: the highest was in the northeast, where water towers were built; in the center was the dining hall; and to the south was the "Palace"/"Mansion", an abandoned Arab house which was higher than its surroundings.

[15] Having taken Yad Mordechai on May 23, the Egyptian force, under the command of Major General Ahmad Ali al-Mwawi went up along the coast and bypassed Nitzanim.

They were also joined by a tank platoon, an AFV company, 18 pieces of field artillery, 12 anti-tank guns, an anti-aircraft battery, and supported by combat aircraft.

Schwarzstein, until then posted in the northeastern corner of the smaller orchard, moved to the dining hall and the nearby residence area, which were surrounded by embankments.

[2][19] The Egyptians commenced heavy shelling of the dining hall, and by 14:00, the defenders decided to retreat to the "Palace" in the south for a last stand.

[4][22] At 16:00 on June 7, 105 exhausted Israeli defenders,[12] 26 of them injured, destroyed their remaining ammunition and equipment,[21] and surrendered to the Egyptian forces.

They were not aware that Nitzanim had surrendered and the only information about it was received from Egyptian broadcasts, so the Givati commander Shimon Avidan found that out only that evening.

At dawn, the leading platoon managed to break into Nitzanim from the south and capture the "Palace", but was ordered to withdraw after being hit by heavy Egyptian fire, having lost the cover of darkness.

[28] According to them, the Egyptian media covered the event widely and wrote that 300 Jews were killed in Nitzanim, it was a major submarine base and much booty was captured, including oil and fuel.

[29] Yitzhak Pundak, the battalion commander who was directly responsible for the village's defense, claims that actions could have been taken to save it, including transferring Napoleonchik cannons to the site.

[25] When Givati finally reached Nitzanim after Operation Yoav, they found the village abandoned and largely destroyed, as the Egyptians retreated south to Gaza.

[20] The villagers who returned from captivity on March 7, 1949,[4] as part of the 1949 Armistice Agreements, rebuilt Nitzanim on a site a few kilometers south of the original.

It was turned into a tourist attraction, featuring a visual presentation and various monuments, including the Women of Valor Center (Hebrew: יד לאישה לוחמת, Yad LeIsha Lohemet), a monument for all female warriors killed in action in Israel's wars,[31] especially the three in Nitzanim: Miriam Ben-Ari, the intern paramedic Shulamit Dorczin,[32] and the 18-year-old Deborah Epstein who died of her wounds in captivity.

Nisan Reznik, who was one of the fighters in Nitzanim, and knew Kovner from before World War II, claimed that the letter was a result of egoism.

[4][20]As a result, Nitzanim's members demanded an investigation into the battle immediately after the war ended, claiming that Kovner significantly and unrightfully harmed their reputation.

The investigation was headed by the Chief of Staff Ya'akov Dori, who sided with the defenders and wrote: The difficult circumstances of the battle by the residents of Nitzanim, the bitter isolation of the combatants, the lack of communication with the rear-front, lack of ammunition and food, and due to the high number of casualties in that defense, brings honor to all those who fought bitterly there, until the last bullet.

[4] A thriller called Target - Tel Aviv (Hebrew: המטרה - תל אביב) by Ram Oren was published in 2004, focusing on the battle and its aftermath.