On the evening of 14 October 1948, a Saturday, we assembled on the parade ground for our usual celebration of the Sabbath. David Shani stood up and read us in a quivering voice the following battle bulletin.
COMBAT HQ DEATH TO THE INVADERS
BATTLE BULLETIN
15 October 1948
FORWARDS TO THE DAY OF DECISION
The ceasefire is dead. The war goes on. The decisive battle has begun. We have had enough of attacks without retaliation! Bombardment and shelling without an answer! Destruction of j
our farms without a chance of peace! The ceasefire is dead and its body will be buried.
The Egyptian Army is facing us and preparing a campaign to destroy our settlements in the south and to capture the Negev, i
We are the only ones who can hold back the enemy. They will not withdraw until we smash their illusions. We didn’t want this war. They chose it! The enemy began it. We will finish it!
We had to win - and we have won!
We had to defeat the enemy - and we have defeated them! ן
We said at the time: if the war starts again, we will commit i ourselves forcefully and with even more energy. And if necessary,
we will eradicate the enemy.
Brothers, the hour has come! We were called upon to drive the ] enemy out of our homeland. Day after day they bombarded our