In October-November 1956, Israel launched Operation Kadesh in coordination with France and the UK's invasion of Egypt during the Suez Crisis. Israeli forces rapidly occupied the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula. During the occupation of Gaza, IDF conducted systematic 'screening' operations ostensibly to identify Egyptian soldiers and Palestinian fighters (fedayeen) who had infiltrated Israel.
On November 3, 1956, in Khan Yunis and its refugee camp, Israeli forces conducted mass roundups of male residents. During screenings, curfews, and arbitrary detentions, IDF personnel systematically executed civilians. UNRWA Director for Gaza Affairs compiled detailed victim lists and reported to UN General Assembly that 275 men were killed in Khan Yunis and 111 in nearby Rafah. Palestinian sources documented 415 killed with 57 missing. Methods included shooting during curfew, execution after screening, and arbitrary killings.
Bodies were buried in mass graves, including in the streets of Khan Yunis. UNRWA provided names, ages, and circumstances of death for verified victims. Despite international documentation and UN reports, no Israeli personnel were prosecuted. Israel withdrew from Gaza in March 1957 under international pressure, particularly from the United States and Soviet Union.
Event Type Mass Execution / Massacre
Perpetrators Israel Defense Forces; IDF Intelligence units
Verification UNRWA Special Report to UN General Assembly
UN Response UNRWA Director documented 275 deaths minimum
Khan Yunis Deaths (UNRWA) 275
Officially documented by UNRWA Director with names and circumstances
Rafah Deaths (UNRWA) 111
Separate incident November 12, 1956; documented by UNRWA
Palestinian Documentation 415+57
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics: 415 killed, 57 missing
Methods of Killing Various
Shot during curfew violations, executed after screenings, arbitrary killings, collective punishment
UNRWA Director, Gaza Affairs
“Submitted detailed report to UN General Assembly December 15, 1956 (Document A/3512): 'During the period 3-12 November 1956, 275 persons were killed in Khan Yunis and its refugee camp.' Report included names, ages, circumstances of death compiled from credible witness accounts and physical evidence.”
Benny Morris
“In 'Israel's Border Wars 1949-1956': 'Israeli troops...massacred, apparently in cold blood, some 275 Palestinian civilians in Khan Yunis...and another 111 Palestinians in Rafah.' Based on Israeli military archives and UNRWA documentation. Confirmed systematic nature of killings.”
Israel's Border Wars 1949-1956' (Oxford University Press, 1993)
Avi Shlaim
“In 'The Iron Wall': 'In Khan Yunis and Rafah, IDF units committed what can only be described as war crimes.' Documented that killings occurred during screenings ostensibly to identify fedayeen but resulted in mass civilian deaths.”
The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World' (W.W. Norton, 2000)
International Committee of the Red Cross
“ICRC delegates present in Gaza after Israeli withdrawal documented mass grave sites and interviewed survivors. Reports submitted to UN detailed systematic nature of killings and burial procedures.”
Palestinian Survivors
“Survivors described IDF soldiers rounding up men for 'identification checks,' taking them away, and returning without them. Bodies found later in mass graves. Families heard gunshots during screenings. Men shot for curfew violations or arbitrary reasons.”
Systematic Screenings and Executions
IDF conducted mass roundups of male residents for 'screening' to identify fedayeen and Egyptian soldiers. During and after screenings, soldiers systematically executed civilians. UNRWA documented names and circumstances of 275 killed in Khan Yunis alone.
Curfew Killings
Strict curfews imposed; civilians shot on sight for violations. Many killed for minor infractions or misunderstandings. UNRWA documented multiple cases of civilians shot during curfew hours.
Mass Graves
Bodies buried in mass graves including in streets of Khan Yunis. Hasty burials prevented proper identification of all victims. Some bodies left exposed for days as warnings.
Arbitrary Detentions and Killings
Mass arbitrary arrests during occupation. Detainees held without charge; many executed without trial or due process. No military tribunals or legal proceedings documented.
Collective Punishment
Entire neighborhoods and refugee camp subjected to collective punishment. Punitive measures included mass killings, curfews, house demolitions for suspected resistance or fedayeen activity.
Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) Violations
Article 3 (Common Article): Prohibits violence to life and person, murder, cruel treatment, torture. Systematic executions violated core protections even during armed conflict.
Customary International Humanitarian Law
Distinction principle: Failed to distinguish between combatants and civilians during screenings. Executed civilians arbitrarily.
Modern Classification
Under Rome Statute of International Criminal Court: acts would constitute crimes against humanity (murder, extermination) and war crimes (willful killing of protected persons, murder).
Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) Violations
Article 27: Protected persons entitled to respect for persons, honor, family rights. Shall be protected against violence. Mass killings violated fundamental protections.
Customary International Humanitarian Law
Prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of liberty: Mass arbitrary detentions without due process violated customary law.
Modern Classification
Systematic nature of killings over 10-day period suggests crimes against humanity element of widespread or systematic attack against civilian population.
Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) Violations
Article 32: Prohibited physical suffering or extermination of protected persons. Screenings followed by executions constituted extermination.
Customary International Humanitarian Law
Prohibition of collective punishment: Entire populations of Khan Yunis and Rafah subjected to collective punishment for suspected fedayeen presence.
Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) Violations
Article 147 (Grave Breaches): Willful killing of protected persons constitutes grave breach (war crime). Mass executions in Khan Yunis and Rafah were grave breaches.
1915-1981 Moshe Dayan
Overall command of IDF operations during Suez Crisis including Operation Kadesh. Oversaw Gaza Strip occupation and screening procedures that led to mass killings in Khan Yunis and Rafah. Later Defense Minister (1967, 1969-74). Never prosecuted for 1956 Gaza operations.
1886-1973 David Ben-Gurion
Ordered Operation Kadesh in coordination with France and UK during Suez Crisis. Authorized occupation of Gaza Strip. Made final decisions on military operations in Khan Yunis and Rafah. Oversaw policies during occupation period.
1911-2003 Moshe Carmel
Commander of Israeli forces occupying Gaza Strip. Directly responsible for ground operations including screening procedures, curfews, and security operations in Khan Yunis and Rafah that resulted in mass civilian deaths.
1923-2016 Shimon Peres
Key architect of Israel's alliance with France and UK for Suez operation. Facilitated military coordination. Later Prime Minister and President. Never faced accountability for role in 1956 Gaza operations.
Immediate Impact (1956-1957)
UNRWA submitted detailed documentation to UN General Assembly with victim names and circumstances
Long-term Significance
Pattern established: Israeli military operations in Gaza resulting in high civilian casualties without accountability
Accountability Outcomes
✗ No Israeli military personnel prosecuted despite UNRWA documentation of 386 deaths
Immediate Impact (1956-1957)
International attention focused on Suez Crisis; massacres received less scrutiny than Hungarian Revolution occurring simultaneously
Long-term Significance
Khan Yunis massacre largely forgotten internationally; remains deeply embedded in Palestinian collective memory
Accountability Outcomes
✗ Military commanders (Moshe Dayan, Moshe Carmel) later held senior government positions
Immediate Impact (1956-1957)
US and Soviet pressure forced Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Sinai by March 1957
Long-term Significance
Israeli historians (Morris, Shlaim) documented massacres decades later using declassified archives
Accountability Outcomes
✗ Victims' families never received compensation or official acknowledgment
Immediate Impact (1956-1957)
UN Emergency Force (UNEF) deployed to Gaza; first major UN peacekeeping operation
Long-term Significance
Contributed to cycle of violence between Israel and Gaza Strip populations
Accountability Outcomes
✗ Mass graves never properly excavated; many victims never formally identified
Immediate Impact (1956-1957)
No international calls for prosecution of perpetrators; Cold War dynamics prevented accountability
Long-term Significance
Precedent for lack of accountability for mass killings of Palestinian civilians
Accountability Outcomes
✓ UNRWA official documentation preserved in UN archives
Accountability Outcomes
✓ Israeli historians later confirmed massacres using military archives
Accountability Outcomes
✓ Events documented in Palestinian national memory and historical records