The plan of Operation Yoav called for the creation of a permanent land corridor to the Negev through Iraq al-Manshiyya.
At 06:20, the Israeli artillery began its barrage, and at 07:00, the Israeli tanks (Cromwell and Hotchkiss of the 82nd Battalion) set out to assist the infantry (Negev Brigade's 7th Battalion), which had already left their bases [REF].