On 18 December 1947 , in an operation approved by Palmach commander Yigal Allon , several houses were blown up in al-Khisas , near the Lebanese border ; a dozen civilians were killed . On 31 December 1947 170 men from the Palmach launched an attack on Balad al-Sheikh , Haifa , in retaliation for the killing of 47 Jews at the Haifa oil refinery . Several dozen houses were destroyed and 60 villagers left for dead
Haifa oil refinery
Haifa Oil Refinery massacre
Palmach