 In January , in the context of the " War of the Roads " , the Holy War Army of Abd al @-@ Qadir al @-@ Husayni besieged the Jewish part of the city and stopped convoys passing between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem . By the end of March , the tactic proved its worth and the city was cut off . The Haganah then launched Operation Nachshon , 4 – 20 April , and managed to force through a number of large convoys . Following the death of Abd al @-@ Qader al @-@ Husayni at al @-@ Qastal , the Arab League 's military committee ordered the other Arab force in Palestine , the Arab Liberation Army , to move its forces from Samaria ( the northern part of today 's West Bank ) to the road of Jerusalem and the areas of Latrun , Ramla , and Lydda . 
