In An Act of Biological Terrorism, Zionists Pour Typhus Into the Water Supply, Causing an Epidemic of Typhoid Fever
In 1947, Acre, assigned to be part of a future Arab state by the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, was subjected to ethnic cleansing by Zionist forces. This operation, known as Ben Ami, was one of the final efforts to forcibly remove Palestinians from territories designated for Arabs under the UN plan. Acre, already burdened with refugees from Haifa, faced a severe humanitarian crisis.
The episode in Acre began with an act of biological terrorism, a tactic that underscored the brutality of the campaign. Military historian Uri Milstein revealed that a commander from the Carmel Brigade deliberately introduced typhus bacteria into the city’s water supply. This insidious act, directed by Moshe Dayan, was part of a larger strategy that included the poisoning of wells to prevent the return of villagers. The typhus outbreak led to an epidemic, exacerbating the suffering of the local population. In the wake of this epidemic, the Carmeli Brigade subjected Acre to heavy artillery fire. After two days of relentless bombardment, the villagers were given a dire ultimatum over loudspeakers: surrender or be destroyed. Most villagers opted to flee, dispersing to Lebanon or Nazareth.
The neighboring town of Baysan, faced with a similar threat from the Golani Brigade, initially resisted, but a powerful Zionist air campaign eventually compelled their surrender, leading to further displacement of Palestinians from their ancestral lands. […]