operational battalions (61st and 63rd). The reorganization did not help however, and in March 1948, Shaltiel commented that the unit had severe supply and discipline problems, and at that pace Jerusalem would not hold out even until May 15. Shaltiel's method of command also worsened the discipline issues, until in June 1948 the 61st Battalion rebelled and was subsequently subordinated to the Harel Brigade until August 1948. In May 1948, Yisrael Galili created a staff unit in Etzioni that was based in Tel Aviv, responsible for the Jerusalem region's outlying and isolated settlements. The command change also did not help cooperation between the different units in the Jerusalem area. Shaltiel insisted that the regional command should be responsible for all units in its area, including the Harel units, which according to Shaltiel only took orders from the Palmach HQ in Tel Aviv. Shaltiel was also at odds with the Haganah high command over his unilateral agreements with the Irgun and Lehi, which were not approved by the command. Finally, the political and cultural leaders of Jerusalem did not accept the brigade's authority on security issues, especially under Shaltiel. Jerusalem's civilian population refused to provide Etzioni with necessary fuel and manpower, and Dov Yosef, the head of the Jerusalem council, send a personal complaint to David Ben-Gurion about Shaltiel's recruitment practices. Moshe Dayan replaced David Shaltiel as the regional commander of Jerusalem on July 25, 1948, although he failed to affect significant territorial changes in the area. Dayan ended his tenure in February 1949. Operations As the Etzioni Brigade had a smaller operational (Field Corps) force than the other brigades, it never left the Jerusalem theater. In all, it suffered between 592 and 651 killed in action in the battles for Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, more than any other brigade's KIA in the entire war. Because of the lack of manpower and training among the Guard Corps units, during the first stages of the war Etzioni was mostly confined to guard duties, with no reserve units for initiating attacks. The Etzioni Brigade participated in Operation Yevusi (April–May, 1948), the first operation in Haganah history that was carried out by more than one brigade (the other one being Harel). The 61st Battalion captured the Katamon neighborhood on May 2–3 and connected with the previously isolated Mekor Haim. Upon British withdrawal from Jerusalem in May 1948, after Operation Shfifon in the Old City,