Day 156 of 599 of מלחמת העצמאות MILḤEMET HAʾAẒMAʾUT (War of Independence)

The institutional page gives 3–4 May but does not say that its described dawn departure occurred on 3 May. A battalion reconstruction inherited in the existing article instead places movement during the night of 3–4 May. The established opening study Beginning of מבצע מטאטא MIVẒA MATATEH. keeps that stronger 4 May alternative visible; it does not turn the civil slot into proof of a particular departure hour.¹

The day’s account can therefore describe a supported multiday campaign without inventing a 3 May founding order or planning meeting.

The institution describes residents fleeing the approach of troops and sappers destroying houses. That sequence establishes intentional destruction as well as a military communications objective. It does not provide a verified displacement count. The full consequences and provisional conclusion date are treated in Conclusion of מבצע מטאטא MIVẒA MATATEH..

Local Arab cooperation is also recorded, preventing the actions of hostile forces from being imputed to every Arab community. The safety and access of communities of יהודים YEHUDIM remain direct stakes, while the treatment of civilians remains part of the operation’s record.

JTA’s 4 May issue describes a ceasefire in the Old City and mortar fire during the preceding night, reporting two children killed before imperial artillery intervened. Their names and precise death times have not been recovered. This is a report about fighting during 3–4 May, not an independently audited two-person addition to the tally.²

The Old City agreement should not be silently merged with negotiations over Katamon. Their territorial scopes, issue dates and operative periods require separate records.

This is Day 156 of the 599-day civil-date series: 1948-05-03, using the public daytime route כ״ד בניסן ה׳תש״ח 24th 𝑜𝑓 Nisan, AM 5708. The civil slot identifies this rundown; it does not date every incident to the same Hebrew day. After sunset the local route becomes כ״ה בניסן ה׳תש״ח 25th 𝑜𝑓 Nisan, AM 5708. 3 May is within the operation’s 3–4 May range; the principal offensive may belong after sunset on 3 May or daylight 4 May. The 4 May report describes firing the preceding night. The source roles and occurrence dates are identified beside each account and in the linked studies.³

• What evidence would distinguish a campaign’s date range from the first force’s departure?
• Why must Old City and Katamon truce arrangements remain distinct?