Operation Matate (Broom) was a Palmach military operation carried out on <strong>4 May 1948 as a sub-operation of the larger <strong>Operation Yiftach</strong>. Its objective was to remove the Palestinian population from the area between Lake al-Hula and Lake Tiberias, particularly the zone east of Safad and west of the Jordan River, and to establish a broad corridor under Zionist control.
p>The operational orders specifically called for attacks on Palestinian communities including al-Zanghariyya, al-Tabgha, and 'Arab al-Shamalina, the expulsion of their inhabitants, and the demolition of their houses. Palmach forces also used mortar fire before advancing into parts of the area. Al-Tabgha was occupied and its inhabitants were expelled on 4 May 1948 or shortly afterward. Operation Matate formed part of the wider Palmach campaign during Operation Yiftach to seize eastern Galilee and depopulate its Palestinian villages.
