 The task to lead Operation Bin Nun ( lit . Nun 's son , in reference to Joshua , Nun 's son , conqueror of Canaan according to the Book of Joshua ) was given to Shlomo Shamir , a former officer of the British army . His force consisted of 450 men of the Alexandroni Brigade and 1 @,@ 650 men of the 7th Brigade . Of these , about 140 to 145 were immigrants who had just arrived in Israel , nearly 7 % of the total . Their heavy weaponry was limited to two French 65 @-@ millimetre ( 2 @.@ 6 in ) mortars of 1906 ( nicknamed Napoleonchik ) , one 88 @-@ millimetre ( 3 @.@ 5 in ) mortar with 15 rounds of ammunition , one Davidka , ten 3 @-@ inch ( 76 mm ) mortars and twelve armored vehicles . Three hundred soldiers of the Harel Brigade were also in the area but were not aware of the operation , but assisted after finding out about it by intercepting a radio transmission . 
