The Castel is a hilltop fortress west of Jerusalem that was the site of one of the fiercest battles of the 1948 War of Independence. The hill, which commands the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, changed hands several times during the war, and the battle for the Castel was a turning point in the struggle to keep Jerusalem supplied and connected to the rest of the Jewish state.
Strategic Importance
The Castel sits at the highest point of the road from the coast to Jerusalem, overlooking the narrow pass of Sha’ar HaGai (Bab el-Wad). Whoever controlled the Castel controlled the road to Jerusalem. In early 1948, Arab forces used the hilltop to ambush Jewish convoys attempting to bring food, water, and ammunition to the besieged Jewish population of Jerusalem. The convoys suffered heavy losses, and Jerusalem faced starvation.
The Battle
In April 1948, the Haganah launched Operation Nachshon to open the road to Jerusalem. The Castel was attacked and captured, lost and recaptured multiple times. During the battle, Abd al-Qader al-Husseini, the commander of the Palestinian Arab forces in the Jerusalem area and a member of one of the most prominent Palestinian families, was killed. His death was a devastating blow to the Palestinian military effort in the Jerusalem corridor and contributed to the collapse of organized Arab resistance in the area.
The Memorial
Today, the Castel is a memorial site with the remains of the Crusader fortress (Castellum, from which the name derives), a monument to the fallen, and panoramic views of the Jerusalem corridor. The ruined buildings and trenches preserve the landscape of the battle, and the view from the summit explains instantly why this hill was worth fighting for.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Castel tells the story of the battle for Jerusalem in 1948. Hoshen Tours visits the hilltop to explain the convoy battles, the siege of Jerusalem, and the turning point that opened the road to the city.