Metzudat Koach
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The Metzudat Koach Memorial (Nebi Yusha fortress, fortress of the 28, hebr. מצודת כ"ח) commemorates 28 soldiers who fell during conquering of the strategic important fortress. The fortress and observation point is located in the Upper Galilee, close to the tomb of Nebi Yusha.
The fortress is not Tegart fort. It does not have the bit square shape of a Tegart, it is smaller and has a round torrent. It was constructed by the British, built by Solel Boneh that did not cheat on the iron. That made the fortress much harder to take. It was a key observation point in the Naftali heights, overlooking the Hulah Valley, and used mostly in an attempt to block the Palestine/Lebanon border.
Koach has a double meaning: in the gematria, 28 is written as כ"ח, and the Hebrew word "כח" also means "strength".
Today, the fortress serves as a base of the Israel Border Police, Mishmar HaGvul.
[edit] History
In mid-April 1948, the British army had evacuated most of Upper Galilee. The British forces handed over a number of key points to the arabs, amongst which the police fortress at Nebi-Yosha. This fortress commanded the main road to Upper Galilee and the routes to the Jewish settlements of Ramot Naftali and Manara.
The palmach understood that this observation point had a strategic importance for the safety and future of the kibbutzim below.
On April 15 in the evening hours, the police station was attacked by a company composed of a force of people from the settlements, Golani and the Palmach, which moved in two armoured cars and two armoured "Egged" buses. A strong fire was opened on the attacking force which was compelled to withdraw. 4 of our soldiers fell in the battle.
On April 20, a second attempt was made to occupy the fortress by fighters of the third Palmach battalion. A unit of assault pioneers succeeded in breaking the barriers and reaching the fortress wall but two of its members were hit, their friends refrained from activating explosives until their evacuation. During said evacuation, enemy fire was directed at them and many of the unit soldiers were killed. The unit members fought to their last man. During the evacuation and withdrawal, numerous heroic deeds were carried out in order to prevent the enemy from arriving close to them. 22 of our men fell in the battle.
In the night of May 16-17, a company of the third battalion of the Yiftach Brigade occupied the fortress after driving away the enemy. On the next day, two of the conquerors were killed.
In the battles for the occupation of the fortress 28 soldiers fell and "Metzudat Hakoach" (Fortress of the 28) is named after them today.
