On February 22, 1948, the Golani Brigade was established. Of all of the Israel Defense Forces’ brigades, Golani is the only one that can trace its history all the way back to the founding of the Jewish State. During the War of Independence, Golani soldiers fought to capture strategic cities such as Tiberias and Safed. They also helped to defend kibbutzim that came under attack. With the aid of the Palmach (the Haganah’s elite fighting unit), the Golani Brigade successfully repelled the Syrian Army; they also defeated the Iraqi army in the south at Gesher. In December 1948, the Golani were then transferred to the South to participate in Operation Horev to secure Israel’s border with Egypt. During the Six-Day War in 1967, a portion of the Golani Brigade joined Israeli armored units in capturing the city of Nablus. The rest of Golani was concentrated in Israel’s northeast region as they prepared for an aggressive push to capture the Golan Heights from the Syrians. Their efforts were successful, but not without sacrifice and hardship. During the war, 59 soldiers of the Golani Brigade died and 160 were injured. In the years following the Six-Day War, the Golani Brigade undertook several counter-terrorism operations in Lebanon, Jordan, and the West Bank. Following the Munich Massacre in 1972, Israel dispatched the Golani Brigade to conduct a series of raids on towns in southern Lebanon. Operation Extended Turmoil was one such raid that seized over 600 guerilla militants and attacked Fedayeen bases. At the time, rebels used the term Fedayeen to represent a “tradition of sacrifice for promoting a political or national aim” (in Arabic). On July 4, 1976, Golani was once again called upon to rescue Israeli hostages in Entebbe, Uganda, from Palestinian and German terrorists. Heading the operation was Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu. During the First Lebanon War, Golani was especially active in Nabatieh and the Castle of Beaufort, which were under the control of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) forces. Following the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the outbreak of the Second Intifada (2000–2005), the Golani Brigade played a critical role in Operation Defensive Shield; it was also heavily involved in both Protective Edge in 2014 and the 2009 Operations Cast Lead in Gaza.