Operation Black Arrow

Operation Black Arrow (Hebrew: מבצע חץ שחור, romanized: Mivtza Ḥetz Shaḥor) was an Israeli military operation carried out in Gaza (while under Egyptian control) on 28 February 1955. The operation targeted the Egyptian Army. Thirty-eight Egyptian soldiers were killed during the operation as were eight Israelis.

Israel's actions were unanimously condemned by United Nations Security Council Resolution 106.

The 1948 Arab–Israeli War resulted in a decisive Israeli victory. However, the Arab nations remained intransigent and were only willing to sign armistice agreements with Israel. Thus, a static situation of “no war, no peace,” emerged. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of Arab refugees now camped alongside Israel's porous borders. The refugees lived in squalor and were kept under martial law. Arab governments, but in particular Egypt, sensing the refugees’ discontent, capitalized on the opportunity to recruit embittered Palestinians for armed actions against Israel. At first, the infiltrations and border transgressions took the form of petty banditry and thievery.

However, with the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954, tensions spiked. Israel engaged in covert terrorist operations as part of Operation Susannah, most notably the failed Lavon Affair, with a view to creating instability and disruption so as to allow the UK to justify stopping its military withdrawal from Suez - while the Egyptian military intelligence was taking an active role in providing various forms of support for Palestinian fedayeen activity.

In the months leading up to the 28 February 1955 incident, tensions along the Egyptian-Israeli Armistice Demarcation Line near the Gaza Strip were high, marked by repeated low-level infiltrations, retaliations, and mutual accusations of ceasefire violations. The region experienced relative calm from November 1954 to early 1955, but both parties lodged numerous complaints, with Israel citing 80 cases of infiltration and Egypt condemning incursions and aggressive patrol behavior. Several emergency meetings of the Egypt-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission (MAC) were called to address more serious violations, such as cross-border raids, sabotage, and exchanges of fire. The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization report on the incident notes provocations from both sides, including Israeli patrols mocking Egyptian soldiers and Egyptian infiltrators accused of espionage and sabotage. UN officials attempted to mediate, proposing joint patrols and local security arrangements, but agreement was limited. This deteriorating situation set the stage for the most serious clash since the 1949 Armistice. After a trio of Arabs working the Egyptian military stole military documents and murdered a civilian, Israel decided to take decisive action against Egypt for its sponsorship of the Palestinians and initiated Operation Black Arrow.

Initially, Israel informed the Mixed Armistice Commissions that "an Israeli patrol was ambushed inside Israeli-controlled territory by an Egyptian armed force". They suggested that Egypt initiated the aggression in Egypt and that Israel pursued them into Gaza. The Israeli spokesperson told the media "Israeli troops suffered a number of casualties in fierce fighting with an Egyptian attacking force near Gaza.. [Egyptian Army] was beaten off and the Israeli unit returned to its base".

However, it later indicated that the actual case was retaliation for Egyptian infiltration. On February 23rd 1955, three Arab infiltrators broke into an Israel Government building near Rishon Le Zion and stole official documents, and the same group murdered an Israeli civilian who was cycling in the town of Rehovot on February 25th. One of the infiltrators who was pursued and killed by Israeli forces was found to be in possession of documents stolen from Rishon Lezion and reports on movement of vehicles in the south of Israel, linking him to Egyptian military intelligence. Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion and Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan demanded a harsh response directed against those believed to have sponsored the attack. Prime Minister Moshe Sharett was more hesitant but demurred.

On February 28, Ariel Sharon, commander of the Paratroop Brigade was issued the go-ahead to initiate Operation Black Arrow. That night, a force of 150 paratroopers, led by Aharon Davidi and Danny Matt, attacked an Egyptian base near the city of Gaza.