Metzudat Koach () (also Nabi Yusha fort) is a British Mandate police fort built during the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine. On the grounds of the fort are a memorial monument and a museum founded in 2014. The Metzudat Koach Memorial commemorates 28 Israeli soldiers who fell in battle during the conquest of the fort in 1948. Metzudat Koah is located in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...

near the ruins of

Al-Nabi Yusha' Al-Nabi Yusha' () was a small Palestinian village in the Galilee situated 17 kilometers to the northeast of Safad, with an elevation of 375 meters above sea level. It became part of the Palestine Mandate under British control from 1923 unti ...

a Palestinian village depopulated by Israeli forces in 1948. The

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

shrine of Nabi Yusha ("Prophet

Joshua Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...

") remains largely intact. Metzudat Koach is listed as part of the Israel National Trail.The Koach Fortress by Peter Abelow
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History

Metzudat Koah is a Tegart fort commissioned by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and constructed by Solel Boneh. It was a key observation point on Ramot Naftali, overlooking the Hula Valley. By mid-April 1948, the British army had evacuated most of Upper Galilee. A number of key points were subsequently occupied by Arab forces, including the police fort at Nabi Yusha. This fort commanded the main road to Upper Galilee and the routes to the Jewish settlements of Ramot Naftali and Manara. In the evening hours of April 15, the police station was attacked by a company composed of Golani, Palmach and irregulars from nearby Jewish settlements, which moved in two armored cars and two armored Egged buses. The attacking force was forced to withdraw due to intense fire. Four Jews were killed. On April 20, a second attempt was made to occupy the fort by a force from the third

Palmach The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...

battalion. A small force succeeded in breaking the barriers and reaching the wall, but two of its members were hit, which delayed the detonation of the explosives until their evacuation. During their evacuation, enemy fire was directed at them and many of the unit's soldiers were killed. The troops fought to the last man. Altogether, 22 Jews were killed in the battle. During the night of May 16/17, a company of the third battalion of the

Yiftach Brigade The 11th Brigade (also known as the Yiftach Brigade) is a reserves unit in the Israel Defense Forces, composed mainly of fighters that completed their compulsory service in the Egoz Unit, Unit 621 – 'Egoz'. History In the 1948 Arab–Israeli ...

occupied the fort after driving away the enemy. On the next day, two of the soldiers were killed. In total, 28 Jewish soldiers fell in the battles for the occupation of the fort, and "Metzudat Koach" ("Fort of the 28") is named after them.palmach.org.il
Palmach Info Center

References

{{Commons category History of Palestine (region) Tegart forts